Running from the Golden Tyrants
by Mister Langrove
Summary: Anjaarra was a lonely Khajiit farmer who lived out in the middle of nowhere. But when she takes in a wounded man, she finds more than she bargained for when she discovers that the Thalmor are after him, and now... After her.
1. An Unexpected Guest

Chapter One: An Unexpected Guest

The gentle rain pattered against the wooden roof, making Anjaarra tired and lazy. She hated when it rained all day, let alone all week. A sigh escaped through her feline lips, matching the heaviness of the air in the small cabin. It was Fredas but it had been raining since last Morndas and Anjaarra was tired of it. Her bones ached to be outside and her tail was constantly twitching and being stepped on by her restless feet.

Another sigh passed through her lips as she lounged over her small sofa, staring out into the seemingly never ending rain. Her crops, which were mostly leeks and potatoes, seemed to enjoy the rain but it looked like half of them had swum away. She growled quietly in disgust. It had been a hard year as it was and she needed all the septims that she could get. With her husband passing and dragons still flying about, she was half-tempted to pack up what little things she had and move out of Skyrim and go back to her home land of Elsweyr.

"But the dragons would surely follow…" She said quietly to herself, her mottled brown and rust red tail flicking lazily in the air. It had almost been a year since the first dragon attack on Helgen and Anjaarra was sure that the scaly beasts had covered most of Tamriel by now. A fly buzzed too loudly in the quiet house, her bright orange eyes flicking around to spot the pest but couldn't catch sight of it. With a graceful swing of her legs, Anjaarra stood and stretched, a quiet yawn escaping through her canine teeth. Her tongue curled slightly at the yawn but she didn't mind. It wasn't like anyone was around to ridicule her.

With a bounce in her step, the beautiful Khajiit walked over to her little square dining table. Two wooden chairs sat beside it but no one had sat in the other chair for almost a year. She paused by her chair, a fond memory of her husband playing across her eyes before a flash of lightning in the window brought her out of her reverie. Without even trying, Anjaarra sat down gracefully in the chair, picking at a wedge of cheese that she had left there earlier. These days, she barely ate or slept. The worry that she might not be able to stock up enough food and coin for the winter made her cut back on her eating. She tried to ignore the constant grumbling in her stomach as she placed the small bits of cheese into her hungry mouth.

And then it came. She didn't hear it at first because it blended in with the constant tap, tap, tapping of the rain on the roof and the rumbles of thunder. But then it came again, louder this time and more distinct. Anjaarra perked up her ears and looked at the door. Was that a knock on the door? The last time she heard a knock on her door was when…

"H-help…" She heard from the other side of her door. That made her quickly jump to her feet and run to the door. At first all she was rain when she opened the door. But then she saw the broken shape of the man in her doorway, a strong smell of blood and fear blanketed him heavily as if it was coming down with the rain. Anjaarra gasped and covered her mouth. "By the gods…" She muttered before quickly helping the man inside.

The man seemed to by half awake as she half-dragged, half-carried the man to the dining table, pushing the empty cup and plate onto the floor. She carefully helped him lay onto his back, noticing all the sword slashes in his clothing. Blood seeped through the slashes and pooled onto her table. She bit her lip and her tail flicked quickly with excitement. Her mind was racing with how to help the man.

"B-bandages…" He stammered his voice weak and far away as if it took all the energy in his body to say that one word. With a quick nod and her panicking mind finding the right track, Anjaarra quickly ran to a cupboard and pulled out a fresh roll of linen wraps. She always made sure she had some ready after her husband had accidentally cut himself with a wood axe. Racing back with the linens, Anjaarra put them aside and extended her claws. The weak, limp man flinched at the sound but he didn't protest as the cat-woman cut open his ragged tunic. It was worse than she thought. Not only were there slash marks from swords, but he also seemed to have been struck by a fireball spell. She could smell the stink of magicka from the wound, her nose wrinkling at the horrid mix of it and burnt flesh.

"Dip bandages in h-hot water…" The man said weakly, the words fainter than before. Anjaarra knew the man had very little time left and wanted to address his wounds right away but realized that the wraps probably weren't the cleanest. With the speed and agility that her people were known for, she quickly grabbed a pot and poured water into it before placing it over the hearth. With a few more logs added to the once smoldering pile of coals, Anjaarra let nature boil the water as she went back to the man.

He was limp against the table and Anjaarra's heart skipped a beat for a second before she heard his ragged breathing again and the slight rise and fall of his chest. He didn't have much time left and she put her paws against her head. She didn't want another man to die on her hands, even though she didn't even know this stranger. And then it clicked. Quickly walking over and standing besides the man, Anjaarra hovered her furry hands over his chest, closed her hands and prayed quietly to Mother Mara, asking for her praise the man with her compassion and benevolence so that she could probably treat the wounded man. Nothing happened at first but then a weak ray of light shone down between the Khajiit woman's hands and it caressed the pale skin of the man. His broken body twitched for a moment as the light slowly engulfed him, but then he lay still. Anjaarra kept her hands held out and watched as the wounds slowly closed up and the burn slowly healed.

Once all the wounds seemed to be healed, she dropped her hands, her body quivering slightly at the slight excursion of the healing. A soft groan of pain- and was there relief, as well? - wafted through the man's pale pink lips before he slowly passed out. Anjaarra softly touched his face, seeing for the first time his lean, chiseled features. He had dark sandy brown hair, matching that of the frozen dirt on the northern coasts of Skyrim. It was tangled and matted with dirt and grime. His face was just as grimy but she could still make out the pale skin, the rounded chin and wide nose. The eyes were somewhat sunken into his skull and the cheekbones were high and wide. But there was no doubting that her mysterious visitor was a Nord.

"And a Talos worshipper…" Anjaarra thought as she picked up the amulet that hung around the Nord's thick neck. The double-bladed axe blade with a dagger affixed onto the top was the man-god's symbol and she quickly dropped it, shuddering when she figured who had done this to the pale man on her table: the Thalmor.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thank you everyone for reading. This is my first story and I hope that you all enjoy reading the next chapters that continue on this story. Please review my story so that I can make it better for you guys to read. Please be professional and clean in your reviews. I will try to post a new chapter everyday or every other day so you won't have to wait long for an update. Please enjoy my story. Thanks! **


	2. On Shaky Terms

Chapter Two: On Shaky Terms

Hulgar awoke to the sound of song birds and gentle breezes. He slowly opened his eyes and stared up at a wooden ceiling. _I'm safe_, he thought to himself. He didn't remember what happened last night or how he got there, but he didn't feel any pain from his wounds that the Thalmor had inflicted onto him but he was just thankful to still be breathing. With a groan of pain and stiff muscles, he slowly sat up on the wooden table, his bare feet almost touching the floor.

He scanned the room with his dark plum eyes, not seeing the resident of the house. At first he thought that maybe it was abandoned but the crackle of a dim of fire in the hearth quickly threw out that thought. With a twinge of pain from his stiff muscles, he slid off of the table and stretched out. A few bones popped in his back, arms and legs but he let out a sigh of relief, smiling slightly. The bright morning sun was shining in through the open window. The smell of damp grass and rain was still heavy in the gentle breeze but he was just glad to see the sun again.

But the smell of past storms and fresh greenery wasn't the only thing floating on the soft wind. Hulgar's ears also picked up the beautiful sound of someone singing. He didn't know who it was or what the song was, but he was certain it was the person who saved him last night. A smile crept across his face when he pictured a strong, beautiful Nord that matched the sweet words floating on the breeze. I mean, who else would be out here in these cold plains but a lonely Nord woman. A small fire was ignited inside him when he thought of how he and the lonely Nord savior could make these cold plains hot.

As he stood by the table in his fantasies, he didn't realize that his "Nord savior" was coming towards the open window, her singing growing louder as she neared the window. It wasn't her soft smile that broke him out of his reverie; it was the soft fur that covered her face and body. A look of disgust and horror covered his face when he realized a thieving, skooma sucking cat had saved him. She either didn't notice his look or just flat out ignored it as she waved at him and leaned into the windowsill.

"Welcome to you, stranger," She said softly to him in her strange accent. She must be straight out of Elsweyr, Hulgar thought. But why was she so far north? Most Khajiit that come to Skyrim either stay to the roads or to the provincial borders, not on the hold border of Whiterun and Eastmarch. It must have clicked to her that Hulgar wasn't very pleased to have been saved by a Khajiit. "I know I wasn't what you were expecting, but a thank you would be appreciated." She said smoothly to him, her sharp chin tilted up with pride. A slight smile tweaked the corners of his long, thin lips but he only nodded and said abruptly, "Thanks."

Anjaarra knew she wasn't going to get anything more than that and she sighed quietly. That was the one thing she hated about Nords: their mistrust of the Khajiit peoples. But for some, they do have reason to. Still leaning into the window, she pointed out at a cabinet with her furry brown fingers, the tips of them a warm, rusty red color.

"If you go in there, you'll find some bread and mammoth cheese. Feel free to eat some," She said to him, trying to sound as friendly as she could, though she knew her kindness was falling onto deaf ears. The man only nodded his thanks again before he walked over to the cabinet. She watched with her bright orange eyes as he pulled out a loaf of bread, watching with curiosity and a bit of disgust as he tore into the bread like a hungry animal. He mustn't have eaten for days if he was that hungry, but then, Anjaarra knew that she would eat like that, too, if she let herself.

The Nord ate the whole loaf of bread in a matter of a few minutes, his tongue licking at the flaky crumbs that had been left behind. With his appetite somewhat fed, he looked back at Anjaarra who looked at him with hungry eyes. Panic pumped through his heart for a second as Hulgar thought that the walking carpet was going to lunge at him, but he realized that she was staring at the few loaves of bread in the cabinet. His heart sank slightly in pity as he realized that the Khajiit had very little but she still gave him what she could afford. He looked at her for a split second with an apologetic look before the harsh look of disgust came back to his face.

"Anything to drink?" He asked her. She nodded and pointed at a cupboard above the sink.

"I got some Black-Briar Mead in there. Go ahead and take the whole bottle," She told the Nord. His face lit up at the name. Black-Briar Mead was the best in all of Skyrim and no mead came close to besting it. Well, except for that Honningbrew place but they had a skeever infestation or something. With his annoyingly thankful nod, Hulgar went to the cupboard and opened it. There was only three bottles inside and there was only one that wasn't opened. With another brief tang of pity, he grabbed the mead and opened it, taking a long pull from it. With a sigh of relief, he pulled his lips back, smiling slightly. And still the Khajiit watched him with curious eyes. He cleared his throat slightly, realizing the awkwardness that filled the silent air.

"So, um, thanks, again…" He said in a somewhat ashamed tone. He had saved her from the Nords most hated enemy but he still treated her like she was less than mammoth patty. This time it was her turn to nod. Hulgar felt his pale cheeks flush slightly, thinking of how she probably thought he was a jerk and an ungrateful one at that. He glanced around the small cabin, noting the one bed shoved into a corner and the bare shelves that adorned the walls. No cobwebs or dust, though, which meant she kept herself busy cleaning.

"What's your name?" The Khajiit asked quietly, her strange accent rolling over her lips like a leaf rolling over a stone road. The Nord took a swig from the bottle of Black-Briar before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and answering her question.

"I'm Hulgar. You?" He responded, noticing her tail flicking back and forth behind her in a relaxed fashion. It made him smile slightly and think of his grandmother's house cat.

"My name is Anjaarra," She purred, a small smile playing at her feline lips. After hearing her name, Hulgar knew that she wasn't born here in Skyrim. If she had been, there would've been some sort of influence from the Nordic culture in her name but there was obviously no trace of that in such a foreign name as that.

"Anjaarra? Hmm…" The way her name rolled over his tongue felt odd, as if he was speaking some ancient language. But the sounds of her name had made the Khajiit smile wider and nod her head again.

"Yes, it means 'Moon Flower' in the ancient Khajiit tongue." Hulgar nodded, smiling inwardly at his correct assumption of speaking ancient languages. The cat continued to speak, as if more to herself than to the Nord. "My mother used to tell me stories all the time about the ancient Khajiit who traveled all over N'Quin Al Desert in search of this flower, for it was told that it came from the gods of the moons. And these godly gifts gave the ancients an endless supply of moon sugar as the flowers seemed to cry with it." Her eyes had glazed over as she told the story and Hulgar found himself intrigued with the tale.

"Is the plant real?" He asked with a second thought. Her ears flicked with slight surprise at the question but Anjaarra smiled sadly and shook her head.

"No. Mother told me that all the flowers had been picked and if not replanted after seven days, the moon flowers cry poison, killing not only the users of the moon sugar, but the plant itself. So, through their greed and ignorance, the ancients had destroyed all of the moon flowers, not allowing their future cubs to have a taste from the gods' gift." Her eyes flicked down towards the floor at the sad tale, a gentle sigh slipping through her lips. Uncertain of what else to do, Hulgar silently drank some more of the Black-Briar, both of them quiet for several minutes.

Hulgar looked up at Anjaarra to say something but a sudden crack of a whip diverted both of their attentions to the road. Turning her head, the cat woman saw a wagon down the road always, but the cracks from the brittle whip carried in the gentle wind. Hulgar had moved cautiously to look out the window, spotting the wagon as well. It was being pulled by two young but large horses, their wheat colored coats seeming to glisten in the cold air of the plains. But it was the creatures sitting in the wagon that brought the cold back into the air. Three Thalmor sat in the wagon, one sitting on the bench attached to the front of it while the other two sat in the back. Anjaarra looked back through the window to say something to Hulgar but he had disappeared.

Her eyes narrowed slightly and she stood up straight as the Thalmor wagon continued its slow stroll down the road. She picked up the hoe she leaned against her wooden shed that held a few other gardening tools and went back to tilling her small garden plot. With her orange eyes as bright as a torch, Anjaarra glanced nervously at the still approaching trio of elves, hoping they would pass without a word. But of course, that almost never happens and the wagon slowed down as it started to pass the Khajiit's property.

"Greetings, citizen." Said the driving Thalmor. He looked like any another Thalmor; he had long, practically sun gold hair. His features were sharp and narrow; his high cheekbones looked like cliffs sticking out of his rather perfect, golden-skinned face. The way he held his head up gave him an air of superiority, which Anjaarra hated. The other two Thalmor looked almost identical to him, looking at the Khajiit from the back of the wagon. They wore the usual robes of the Justiciars, making the hairs on the back of her eyes prick up slightly. They only sent them out when they were looking for someone.

"Good morning, sir." Anjaarra straightened up slightly to curtsey at the driver before leaning some of her weight onto the hoe. "What brings the Empire's lovely patrolmen to my door?" She asked, trying to keep the fear and annoyance out of her voice. One of the Thalmor riding in the back of the wagon whispered quietly to the driver, but even if he spoke loud enough for Anjaarra to hear, she wouldn't have understood a word of it; the elf spoke in Altmer. She watched as the driver did a silent nod at the whispering man before slowly sliding off the bench, pushing his black cloak behind him.

"We had word that a man, a Nord man at that, escaped the hands of the Riften guards and he was last seen in these parts." The Thalmor talked slowly but his words seemed to be attractive, almost seductive. Anjaarra flicked her ears as if to flick away the thoughts. Either not noticing or not caring about the motion, the driver continued as he began to lean against the wooden fencing. "He's a Talos worshipper and as such, he must be taken into custody. A simple woman such as yourself should realize this." A smirk crossed the dark golden lips of the Thalmor at his last few words. Anjaarra's orange eyes narrowed slightly, not taking kindly to the way the high elf talked to her. But there wasn't much she could do about that being a second class citizen and all.

"I haven't such a man around here. Only been myself and until recently, the storm. But it seems like it left knowing that you were coming around." It was Anjaarra's turn to smirk as the crisp golden brown eyes glared at her, one of the Justiciars grabbed for his bow. The other Thalmor in the wagon stopped, talking in a harsh, quiet tone to him in the Altmer language. The Khajiit looked at the elf leaning on her fence as he roughly kicked down a post.

"Hey!" She shouted at him, baring her teeth and flattening her ears back. The Thalmor only smirked, the royal air about him turning into the stink of a disgusting tyrant. The other two Thalmor stood and watched from the wagon, both of them with a devilish smirk on their faces. The Justiciar who kicked down the fence post kicked down another until he could walk through the gap in the fence.

"I'm sure a lowlife can gain back the Septims for that after you share your bed with a man or two." The smirk never left his face as he walked over to Anjaarra, rage and fear swirling around her eyes like a storm. Her body was tensing and her tail flicked angrily behind her. The anger was quickly replaced by even stronger fear as the Thalmor before her pulled out an elven dagger, the tip of the blade pressed against her throat. She swallowed nervously as the high elf glared down at her with impatience.

"Now I know you must have seen this man. His tracks lead practically to your door and there isn't anything around here for miles that could've sheltered him." The elf seemed to whisper harshly through his gritted teeth. The Khajiit at the end of his blade squirmed nervously, her molten orange eyes staring up at pleadingly.

"P-please… I swear I haven't seen…" Anjaarra began to stammer but a sudden yelp of a surprise and pain diverted both her and the Justiciar's attention to the Thalmor on the wagon behind them. Or more of, the two dead Thalmor on the wagon. Both of their bodies lay over the railing, their dark crimson blood almost having a golden tinge to it as it spilt onto the stone cold road.

Before the Thalmor in front of her could do anything, Anjaarra took the hoe in both of her hands and swung it around hard towards him. She stumbled back as the elf had heard the movement and ducked, lunging forward to stab the Khajiit. But the blade didn't find its home in her flesh. With the grace of a dancer, the cat-woman quickly leapt out of the way and wacked at his hand with the end of the hoe. The stiff wooden handle slammed down hard against the Thalmor's wrist, making him yelp and cringe in pain, but the elven dagger was still held tight in his hand as Anjaarra quickly jumped back a few paces.

With a quickness and agility that almost matched the Khajiit's, the Thalmor was quickly back on his feet. The dagger was held at the ready at his side as Anjaarra wielded the hoe like sword, her furry fingers wrapped around it tight. If there was no fur to cover her hands, she was sure that her knuckles would be snow white with the grip that she had on the gardening tool. With a short shout, the Justiciar lunged forward again but the flat end of the hoe slammed into his chest, knocking the wind out of the high elf as he flew back and landed onto the hard earth.

He gasped and sputtered like a fish out of water as he tried to sit up. His dagger had skittered a few feet away from him and Anjaarra had already ran to it to retrieve it. With an airless shout, the Thalmor tried to reach for the blade, but his efforts were in vain as an iron dagger was shoved into the base of his neck. Anjaarra scooped up the elven dagger and turned to face the Thalmor, only to see the golden light in his eyes slowly darken as his gold-crimson blood trickled out of his nose and blood. Hulgar hovered over him, his chest heaving in and out quickly from the excursion of the short battle. With a shaky look, Hulgar looked up at Anjaarra, the horrified look on her face still somewhat present but relief was slowly taking over.

Why wasn't she throwing up at the first sight of the dead man, Hulgar thought. Almost everyone he knew had vomited after seeing their first death. But this Khajiit didn't do that, didn't even look away for that matter. There was more to her than a lonely cabin and a furry face. With a long breath, the Nord calmed down his breathing and straightened out his torn tunic before extending his hand.

"Let's a make a truce." He said to the Khajiit, who only looked at him in confusion.

"A truce? What for?" She asked him, an ear perked up curiously. Again, another fond memory of his grandmother's house cat skipped across his eyes before he spoke.

"I promise I'll watch your back if you help me get out of Skyrim." He told her coolly, even though the air was cool enough. Anjaarra continued to stare at him for a moment longer before her orange eyes looked around at the dead bodies. She knew that there was probably already a new squad of Justiciars on their way and it was only a matter of time before they got to her cabin. With a heavy sigh, she took the hand and shook it.

"It doesn't look like I have much of a choice, anyway…" She muttered quietly to herself.


	3. Unsettled Plans and Free Trades

Chapter Three: Unsettled Plans and Free Trades

It only took Anjaarra an hour or so to gather up all of her belongings. After her husband had died, she didn't keep much around the house and the only thing that she really had to pack was food and a few spare clothes. She also packed a map of the local area along with one of the entire province of Skyrim. Hulgar, having nothing but the clothes on his back, waited patiently by the doorway, watching the cat-woman bustle around her small cottage home.

"About ready?" The Nord asked her, his patience starting to slip from him. The Khajiit pushed another blouse into her knapsack before she nodded her head. Her bright orange eyes kept welling up with tears but she would quickly blink them away, not wanting to look weak in front of the man. When she knew that her voice wouldn't crack, she spoke strongly.

"Yes, I'm ready." She pulled the knapsack onto her back, keeping her chin up high. Hulgar stared at her before giving one good nod.

"Okay." He straightened up in the doorway. "We probably have about two or three days ahead of us before the Thalmor figure out that their precious hunters were defeated. So, we'll have to move fast if we want to stay ahead of them." Hulgar continued, watching Anjaarra nod slowly. He stared at her for a moment before giving her a single nod and walking out of the cabin. The Khajiit let out a mournful sigh and gave the house one last look around before stepping outside. She closed the thin wooden door behind her, not bothering to lock it. She didn't leave anything of any monetary value and whatever she did leave; it wasn't of any use to her now.

"Any bright ideas for getting there faster?" She asked, trying to hide the sadness and regret in her voice. Hulgar glanced at her before walking towards the road.

"There's some stables down the road some just outside of Whiterun. I figured we could sell anything odd bits of junk you have, too." The Nord explained to her. She followed him a few steps back, thinking over his plan. It really wasn't that bad of an idea. They'd probably be there before nightfall but there was one issue.

"Wait… Aren't there Thalmor in Whiterun?" She asked him. Anjaarra noticed Hulgar pause for only a second as he walked.

"Well… How about you go into Whiterun, get any supplies we need and then I'll stay outside at the stables?" Now that didn't seem too bad of an idea. Anjaarra nodded with only a bit of reluctance.

"Okay, that'll work," She said quietly. With a mutual silence, they both walked one behind the other down the road. There wasn't much to look at as the pair traveled. The golden hills of the tundra were beautiful to look at but it was easy to lose your interest. A creek cut through the hills at times or a lone fir tree would stand out in the golden grass. But that was all there really was to see out in the tundra plains of the hold of Whiterun. But in the distance, on top of a hill, stood the capital.

Whiterun stood out of the grass like a manmade mountain, the hill that it stood upon making it easy mark to spot. It looked like a mighty acropolis, a few farms and homes dotted the fields outside of the large stone walls. The war had ended only a few months back with the Empire winning over the rebels. And now the Thalmor were present in this once neutral city.

"Will you be okay with going into the city without me?" Hulgar asked after several quiet hours of walking. It took Anjaarra a moment to recollect her thoughts. She had been thinking of her late husband but the Nord's voice brought her back to reality.

"Yes. I have before and I most certainly don't need any help now." She tried to sound strong even though she wasn't feeling like that in the least. Hulgar suppressed a smile at her attempt, walking ahead quietly. Tired of walking in silence, the Khajiit spoke up.

"Where do you plan on running to?" She stared ahead at the back of the Nord's head. She didn't see the blank on his face but she knew the answer.

"I… I don't know…" He choked out. He never actually thought of where to run, just that he had to run from the Thalmor. Anjaarra scoffed quietly and shook her head in disbelief. After dragging her away from her only home, he didn't even have a clue of where they were going.

"Great plan," She muttered to him with disdain. Hulgar opened his mouth to say something back to him but she pushed past and quickly walked down the stone road. He stared after her before letting out a sigh. He could never please anyone it seemed.

The rest of the walk wasn't as redundant as it was on the way there. There were few more farms that surrounded the city along with the West Black-Briar Meadery. It had started out as Honningbrew Meadery, but after a skeever infestation and the near poisoning of the Whiterun general, the place was closed down. Seeing her opportunity, which rumor had it that she planned herself; she scooped up the empty meadery and ran her second business. Over the last eight months or so, the meadery had grown from two buildings to about four, having more and more orders to fill almost every month. Hulgar was half-tempted to stop to get a fresh bottle but Anjaarra showed no signs of stopping, who was a few good strides ahead of him now.

"Wait," He told her, watching her stop and turning halfway to look back at him. "I'll wait back at the meadery for you since I shouldn't go into the city. The Thalmor shouldn't be in there so I'm sure I'll be okay." Anjaarra rolled her eyes slightly, knowing that the Nord's addiction to the honey sweet drink was drying out his tongue.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be back in about an hour." The Khajiit told him. And without a second to spare, she turned back to face the acropolis and continued her quick pace to it. Hulgar only watched for a second, noticing his gaze linger over her tail and hips before shaking his head. Was he really staring at skooma sucker? He shook his head again, glaring at himself. That just couldn't be possible. True Nords like him only looked at other Nords. Okay, maybe the occasional Breton or Redguard but not a beastfolk. That just wasn't right… Was it? With the still contorted look of confusion and self anger on his face, he quickly walked back to the meadery, knowing he need more than just one bottle to help solve his problems.

Anjaarra was oblivious to the whole ordeal, walking past the stables and up the wooden ramps to the gate. After the war ended, most of the wooden bridges that crossed the small streams were made into stone ones and the drawbridge was replaced with a thicker and more resilient one. The large wooden gates were always kept open, even at nighttime. That was one of the things that Anjaarra liked about the Imperials taking over; it made her feel welcome in the city and actually appreciated for the work she had done.

She strolled through the gates, the guards nodding at her. The Khajiit smiled softly at them and nodded back. Most people in Whiterun knew her or at least recognized her. After living outside in the tundra plains for almost five years, you start to get along with most of the other inhabitants of the hold. She had actually been asked to stay for dinner at the Battle-Borns' home at one point in time, which she gladly accepted. It was nice to be able to get along with everyone and it was so much easier after the war since everyone accepted strangers and foreigners a little bit better. But then you had the stubborn Nords like Hulgar who were probably ex-Stormcloaks that thought Skyrim was only for the Nords and no one else.

Anjaarra snarled quietly to herself at that thought, her face contorted in anger for a second before a group of children ran past. They waved at her and said their hello's as they ran by. The cat-woman laughed and waved back at them, flicking her tail happily as she walked to Belethor's General Store. A bell rang as she opened the bright brown door, the once dozing Belethor quickly snapping away. His eyes lit up at Anjaarra and he smiled widely at her.

"Well, hello there, Anjaarra!" He seemed to bellow with his hoarse, but somewhat soft voice. "What a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting you for a few more days." The Khajiit nodded at him as she closed the door behind her. She walked across the store to him, leaning over the counter slightly.

"I know and I'm sorry to surprise you. But I have a bit of bad news for you." She began to tell him. Belethor's bushy black eyebrows furrowed slightly with worry as she continued. "I'm leaving Whiterun for a little while and I'm not sure when I'm coming back, so I need to know what you'll give me for these." She took out a medium sized leather pouch and dumped out its contents onto the counter.

A few little silver trinkets tumbled out, along with a few precious jewels and cloth. She choked back a sob as a gold ring with a flawless ruby, diamond, and sapphire set into it. Her late husband had made it for her, made in the traditional way of the Khajiit. The diamond represented the newly wedded couple, surrounded by the two moons, which were represented by the ruby and sapphire. Belethor knew the importance in this ring and stared at it sadly. He had known her husband very well. Hell, he knew her husband years before he actually meant Anjaarra. He sighed mournfully, gently picking up the ring between his thumb and forefinger.

"I'll give you two thousand for everything. But at least keep this," He told as he held out the ring to her. She stared at with her bright orange eyes, feeling tears start well up in them as she slowly nodded and took it in her furry fingers.

"Thank…" She stopped, clearing her throat to help open up her closing throat. She wiped her eyes and started again. "Thank you, Belethor." Anjaarra said meekly, quickly tucking the ring away. The Breton shopkeeper only nodded as he scooped up the rest of the jewelry and replaced it with the said amount of septims. The pouch they were placed in jingled loudly with the hefty weight but it didn't take away her sadness as she took it off the counter. Most of those trinkets were given to her by her husband, and seeing them sold away pulled at her heartstrings.

She nodded her thanks again at Belethor but he held up a hand to stop her. She paused and watched him as he stooped over behind his counter. He had stayed hidden for a moment before he stood back up. He placed a black scabbard onto the counter, staring at the Khajiit with a serious look. "Look out for yourself out there, okay?" He said quietly, sliding it over to her.

Anjaarra stared at the scabbard for a long minute with her orange eyes. The last time that she had held a knife it was so long ago during a terrible time in her life. She shook her head slightly to shake away any memories that dwindled in the shadows of her mind. With a slow but strong movement, she picked up the scabbard and pulled out the dagger slightly. It was made of pure ebony, the dark material seeming to radiate a cold chill. She suppressed a shudder as she slid it back into place and tied the scabbard around her waist.

"Thank you, Belethor. If I ever come back, I promise I'll repay you." She told him, but he only smiled slightly and shook his head.

"It's on the house." This time, Anjaarra was the one who smiled slightly before nodding her thanks again. With the nod returned, she walked to the door and left the shop for probably the last time in her life.


	4. On the Road Again

Chapter Four: On the Road Again

Hulgar was on his third bottle of mead by the time Anjaarra finally walked into the meadery. He didn't say much as she walked over, he only took a swig from the almost empty bottle and stared at her. She was holding two packs full of supplies and a look of seriousness and … Sadness? Regret, maybe? Regret for what, the Nord couldn't figure out. She dropped a pack on the small table in front of Hulgar.

"Ready?" She asked him quietly, her voicing cracking only slightly. It was sadness, he decided as he took a final swig from his bottle and nodded.

"As ready as I'll ever be." He dropped the bottle onto the table and scooped up the pack, standing up. He tossed a few septims onto the table to pay for the tab and slipped his arms through the pack. Anjaarra watched him quietly for a few seconds before walking away to the door. Hulgar walked close behind her, keeping his voice low as he talked to her.

"We have to get some weapons but not from this blacksmith." He told her, walking through the threshold of the Black-Briar Meadery and closing the door behind them. Anjaarra looked back at him, giving him a questioning look. "The Thalmor track all records of sold goods, especially weapons. If they find out that I bought some things here in Whiterun, they'll be on us quicker than ever before."

"Then where will we get the weapons?" She asked him, walking over to the road's edge. Hulgar walked up beside her and started walking down the road, away from the acropolis of Whiterun. The Khajiit stared at him somewhat confused before quickly following behind him. She could glance a smug grin on his face as they approached two different stone bridges. One lead across the river towards High Hrothgar and the other headed north. But Hulgar didn't follow either; he turned down a road to his right that headed south towards Riverwood. The path had been somewhat covered by brush and rocks from the recent rain that Anjaarra hadn't noticed the road.

"I have a friend in Riverwood who'll give me a few supplies, free of charge." The Nord told her as they slowly walking uphill. "We can also get a horse while we're there. My friend will make sure to cover our tracks." The cat-woman nodded her head as she walked a few steps behind him. A few birds chirped in the evergreens that stood guard on either side of the road, her orange eyes glancing at them. She had forgotten how beautiful nature was as she followed the man. The last time she had really gone outside and witnessed the beauty of nature was when S'Baadar was… Her mind stopped at the thought of her late husband, tears quickly welling up in her eyes.

_No_, she thought to herself, _I must stay strong. His death was a year ago and it wasn't my fault. It wasn't…_ She looked down at the ground, stepping around a few rocks that jutted out of the dirt. Hulgar had noticed her quiet manner but made no notion to break the silence. He knew that she was probably upset with ruining her life but it wasn't his fault that the Thalmor had found him… And her…

They both traveled up the road quietly for almost an hour and the sun was starting to dip below the mountains. They had been traveling alongside a river for a good leg of that hour and the forest just seemed to get thicker as they walked. But down the river, they could see a village. Its watermill was spinning at a moderate speed in the lazy river water. Lights were glowing warmly in windows as the pair neared the town.

"We can lay down for the night here at my friend's home. I'm sure she wouldn't mind sharing her home with us." Hulgar said to his companion. Her ears perked up at the sound of his friend being a girl. She hadn't thought that a woman would be stashing weapons for fugitives, but then, if the woman was a Nord, it wouldn't have surprised Anjaarra.

"Will she let me into her home?" The Khajiit asked, noticing Hulgar's look of confusion before realization hit him a second later. His plum eyes looked at her before he answered quietly, almost hesitantly.

"I'm sure she will…" Even though the quake in his voice didn't reassure her at all. She tried not to sigh as they continued their trek to the small village, the town growing closer and closer with each meter they crossed.

The remainder of their walk was in silence, the sun dipping behind the mountain range and the moons replacing it. The Khajiit fell back a few paces, looking up at them as they grew brighter on the fringes of the sky. Her pupils widened slightly as the moons allowed their bright light to wash over her mottled brown fur. She loved the feeling of the moons' warmth and light on her fur, her bright orange eyes closing as she lifted up her face towards the sky. A soft purr resonated from her throat as her tail flicked behind in clear pleasure and comfort. Hulgar paused a few paces ahead of her, looking back to see what was holding back the cat-woman. He smiled slightly at her, the look of total bliss etched into her face. The moonlight actually seemed to enhance her beauty and she…

_What am I doing?!_ His thoughts shouted at him as the Nord realized that he was ogling the cat. He quickly shook his head off any thoughts that he had of her, quickly turning away and starting down the path again. Anjaarra heard his feet thunder down the path, her eyes shooting open and staring at his retreating back. She was confused for a moment before she quickly walked after him, the trees thinning out even more as they neared the thin walls the hamlet.

The wooden gates were wide open but two guards were posted at the gate. They nodded at Anjaarra and Hulgar as they passed by them; a few buildings were placed on either side. The blacksmith was to their left, along with the watermill a few meters beyond that. A few side roads stretched out from the main road, small homes and private gardens adorning the side streets. An inn stood at the end of the street next to the gates at the far end of the road. Staying close behind the Nord, Anjaarra followed him down a thin dirt path to a house at the far back of the village. It seemed to be on the foot of the mountain the village sat next to, half of the building slanted with the slope.

"Stay here for a minute." Hulgar said to her. Anjaarra nodded once before the Nord walked up to the house. He knocked softly on the door, waiting a half second before knocking three times fast. The door seemed to open immediately, a figure standing in the doorway. Anjaarra perked up her ears to try and hear what the two were saying but she had no luck with that. She watched the dark figure and the Nord talk for a several minutes before he returned to Anjaarra with a look of disapproval.

"Gro-Gluk said that she'd take us in for the night, but you have to sleep in the wine cellar." Hulgar told Anjaarra. Her entire body seemed to droop at the thought of sleeping in a damp cellar that was probably infested with gods-know-what. But she didn't see much of a choice and it's not like the innkeeper on the main street would even let her sleep in the building, or at least not for the normal price that is.

"Okay…" She said quietly to him. It was only then she realized that Hulgar's female friend had an Orcish name. She opened her mouth to say something about it but Hulgar was already nodding his head like he had read her thought.

"Yes, she is an Orc." He told her, keeping his voice low. "She used to be a blacksmith for the Stormcloacks during the war. But now, she helps out any old soldiers who needs a blade or a bed to sleep in." The Nord explained to her, watching as the Khajiit nodded slowly in understanding.

"Okay. Does she have food?" Anjaarra asked, her ears perked up and soft smile tweaking her lips at the thought of a warm meal in her belly. The Nord saw this and he nodded but there wasn't a smile on his face.

"For me, yes…" He told her and paused, but Anjaarra knew what he meant. Her smile quickly dropped from her face and her gaze lowered down to the ground. Hulgar held back a sigh as another pang of pity filled his heart. There wasn't anything that he could do to convince Gro-Gluk to make better arrangements for the Khajiit woman.

"I'm not that hungry, anyways…" Anjaarra said, flicking her ears when her stomach growls at the lie. Hulgar pretended not to notice it as he nodded solemnly and turned back to the Orc in the doorway. After a few exchanged words, the Orc moved aside and waved the odd pair inside. The Nord quickly did with the Khajiit hesitantly following behind him.

"You go to the cellar." The Orc said in a gruff voice that sounded like gravel on stone. Her green hand was pointing at a trap door in the corner. Anjaarra only nodded once and quietly walked over to the door, her tail hung low. It only took her a few seconds to open the door and climb down into the basement. She heard the door close above her and a lock fall into place. She sighed again, holding back tears as her eyes adjusted to the dark.

There wasn't much that she could see down in the cellar. There were a few barrels of maybe old food or ingredients. There was a musty pile of hay stacked to one side while a large ale drum sat opposite of it. A rickety wooden table sat beside the drum with a most likely broken chair next to it. _Some hospitality_, Anjaarra thought sadly as she walked over to the chair and carefully sat down, thankful that it didn't break apart under her light form.

Above her, Gro-Gluk was putting some fresh venison stew into a wooden bowl. Hulgar watched the Orc from the large dining table across the room. He was sipping from a metal tankard that was filled to the brim with some hearty ale. A smile had played at the corners of his mouth as he drank down several gulps before slamming down the tankard with a burp of satisfaction.

"More ale, Hulgar?" The Orc asked, her voice softer towards the Nord man. She placed down the bowl in front of him and set down a spoon next to it. Hulgar nodded, quickly taking up the spoon and shoveling the still hot stew into his mouth. Gro-Gluk grinned slightly before taking the tankard and walking over to a small ale drum.

"So, how'd they catch you?" She asked, glancing back at the Nord over her shoulder. He shoveled in a hunk of venison into his mouth, chewing it over before speaking.

"We had a mole," Hulgar started, swallowing the meat in his mouth before continuing. "It was some pawn of the Thalmor who had been selling info to them. They knew about our little group and almost everyone who's in it." He told her with a serious look. Gro-Gluk turned to face him and returned the look. She started to open her mouth but Hulgar only nodded at her unasked question. "Yes, they know where you are too. And you should get out of here while you still have the chance.

"They don't know where everyone is but they know where all the safe houses are." Hulgar continued, glaring at the table in frustration before looking back up at the Orc. "You probably have a few days before a whole army of them sweep this town over for you. You're best bet would be to leave town after we do."

Gro-Gluk didn't say anything at first. She only finished topping off the rest of the tankard before setting it back onto the table. Though it was seconds later, she gave one strong nod and walked away to a small room, pulling a curtain to cover the doorway. Hulgar stared at the curtain for a moment before sighing. He finished his stew in silence and drank the rest of his ale before standing up and walking over to a small bed that was shoved in a corner. The Nord sat down on the straw filled mattress before lying back and staring up at the ceiling. Thoughts of what he was going to do about the pressing issue of the Thalmor clouded around his dark plum eyes. In an attempt to push them away, he closed his eyes and wished for a sleep which would take almost hours to receive.


	5. Unleashing the Hounds

Chapter Five: Unleashing the Hounds

The First Emissary Elenwen smirked as the prisoner before her screamed out in agony. For the last three days she had been torturing him, trying to pry out information about the other Talos worshippers in their insurrection group. But so far, he hadn't cracked… Yet. She sent out another blast of lightning from her fingertips, striking his bare chest. The Nord howled in pain and arched his back. Foam dripped out of his mouth and his fingers were curled in the air. The First Emissary paused, watching the Nord relax in his chains and sob in pain.

"Now," She said in her almost seductive voice. She touched her golden fingertips to his cheek, looking into his eyes. "Will you tell me where the others are?" Elenwen asked. The Nord only stared at her with a blank expression, tears streaking down his bruised face. After another second's hesitation, she punched him hard with her gloved hand, hearing his neck crack and a weak yelp escaping his lips. But he still breathed, just barely. She grabbed him by his light brown hair and yanked his head back so that she could look at his face.

"Where are they?!" She shouted at him, anger and frustration clearly visible on her usually beautiful elven face. The Nord hesitated, his eyes glancing down at the ground before looking back into Elenwen's gold-brown ones. He opened his mouth to speak but only spit came out, a weak smirk toying with his lips. With a disgusted yell, she kneed the Nord hard in the crotch, stepping back as he doubled over in pain, his chained arms popping slightly. The First Emissary raised a fist to hit the Nord again but the door on the other side of the room opened, a Justiciar panting hard with excursion.

"First Emissary! We've been attacked!" The Thalmor soldier said, any remarks that the Emissary was about to say quickly fell away.

"How? Where?" She quickly asked in the Altmer language, not wanting the Nord to listen. The returning soldier spoke quickly in the elven language.

"A triad group on the outskirts of the Whiterun hold. They were chasing one of the Talos worshippers but haven't returned. They haven't checked in at any outposts for the past six hours and the only conclusion is that the worshipper killed them." The First Emissary listened carefully, trying to keep her anger in check; she'd use it later on the Nord chained to her wall.

"This traitor is a dangerous one, isn't he?" The Emissary said coolly. The soldier nodded nervously, unsure of what to say. He watched as Elenwen paced around the room. "Well, I guess we have no other option then to bring out the tracker." An evil smirk was sketched onto her face, the Justiciar returning the smirk. The First Emissary turned away from the soldier for a moment, looking at the Nord on the wall. He had been trying to listen in on the conversation but he didn't understand a word of it.

"Well, well, well. It seems like one of your comrades have been found." The Emissary said in the Imperial language. The Nord quickly looked up with shock and horror. Elenwen laughed at him. "Why are you so surprised? Our race is superior so it was only a matter of time before one was found." She smirked and leaned forward so they were face to face. "And I'm sure they'll tell me where all of your little comrades are." Elenwen stood up and looked at the soldier in the doorway. "Get me a black soul gem." A wicked smirk played across both elven faces. The Nord writhed in his chains, trying to pull away.

"No, wait!" He shouted, though his voice was hoarse and weak. The Justiciar walked away and the First Emissary looked at him from the corner of her eye. "I'll talk…" He said with a defeated tone, his body sagging in the chains. The Justiciar returned immediately with what seemed like a dark oak trinket box. The Emissary took it from his hands and turned towards the Nord, her smirk never leaving her face.

"I'm sorry, but you've ran out of time and I'm all out of patience." Elenwen said as she opened the box. The Nord only screamed for a second before a purple flash of light engulfed the room, the scream cut off abruptly. Once the light faded and the box was shut, the chains hung loosely from the wall, the once living Nord was nowhere to be seen. The First Emissary turned to face the Justiciar who was standing at the ready beside her.

"Put this in the machine and gather a party of ten. I want you to lead that party, Erikour." Elenwen told him as she passed him the box. He grinned with eagerness, taking the box from the First Emissary.

"Yes, First Emissary," Erikour said in a strong voice. "As you command." He bowed slightly before quickly leaving the room and running down the hall of the North Embassy. He ran down several halls and down several more flights of stairs before he came to a large stone room. The ceiling was high set and Dwemer carvings adorned the corners and pillars. The Justiciar was always amazed by this place, no matter how many times he went inside it.

This place had been discovered decades ago, before the North Embassy had been built. An undercover scouting party of Thalmor were sent looking for an alleged Dwemer ruin that was supposed to be filled with unheard of machines and treasures. The Aldmeri Dominion, needing everything that they would need for the upcoming Great War, hoped to find this ruin. But as fighting broke out south of the Skyrim border, the scouting party stumbled across a cave in the northern mountains just a little west of Solitude. Or more of, they fell into the cave and had no way of climbing back out. The scouting party stumbled through the dark cave for almost three weeks, running out of provisions and quickly running out of group morale when they found it. The ruins of Moark-Zoa.

It had started out as just a simple Dwemer hallway, half covered by rocks and ice. But after pushing open a burly door, the Thalmor scouting party discovered a huge labyrinth of ancient dwarven hallways and rooms. But these ruins weren't of living areas for important Dwemer clans like the ruins of Nchuand-Zel. These ruins were purely for war. The Thalmor scouts were astonished. These ruins had been untouched for centuries, not even Falmer lived in these ancient halls. After thoroughly searching through the crumbled halls and caved in rooms, they found a room that had been untouched by nature's hand.

It was the Hangar, the legendary room that held all kinds of war machines that no one had seen before. Only the Chimer had supposedly seen them but these machines were so effective that it left no survivors. The scouting party of Thalmor quickly catalogued all that they could before finding a way to the surface. By the time they returned Alinor, the Great War was coming to an end and there was no need to bring out the machines. They kept them hidden deep within the bowels of the mountains. But to ensure that no one else would find the machines, the Thalmor built the North Embassy on top of it, concealing the secrets beneath it.

Erikour quickly walked down the ancient steps, glancing around the room. Old Dwemer contraptions littered the room but they had been restored to their former glory. Thalmor engineers bustled around the room, working out the kinks of different devices. The Justiciar left the stairs and walked towards a large golden metal machination. These contraptions weren't like the average ones found in the average Dwemer ruin.

A slight smirk played across his golden lips as Erikour stepped towards the contraption. It had the body of a Dwemer spider but each leg was about eight feet long when fully extended. All eight legs were crouched low to the ground, the upper apparatus of the machine resembling a Dwemer Centurion. Its golden metal face had been redesigned to look like a Thalmor, the angles more chiseled and regal. But unlike the average Centurion which was adorned with a hammer arm and a saw arm, this contraption had two of each. And on top of it all, the metal monstrosity was able to rotate its entire upper body on the spider legs. It was the ultimate fighting machine, and Erikour was going to lead it into battle.

_The Nords don't have a chance,_ Erikour thought as he climbed up on the platform that surrounded the machine. He stared up into the metal face of his brethren and grinned. _The ultimate superior race, none shall surpass us,_ his thoughts continued as he opened the chest plate, revealing a soul gem cavity. Slowly opening the dark oak box, Erikour saw the black soul gem, glowing with essence of the Nord's soul. Carefully taking it out of the box, he held it with his fingertips in one hand and pulled off the glove on his free hand. With extreme caution and skill, the Justiciar cut a small slit in the hand holding the gem, allowing the blood to pool in his palm. After a few seconds, he smeared his blood over the glowing stone. He closed his eyes as he spoke quietly.

"With my blood, I bind us together; flesh and machine. With my blood, you follow my commands; master and servant. With my blood, you kill my enemies; Stormcloacks and Talos." He murmured quietly, shoving the soul gem into the machine's chest cavity afterwards. There was a click and a dull flash as the machine seemed to take in a deep breath. Steam hissed and boiled through its piping as it slowly rose up on its spider legs, its arms stretching out. Hinges screamed out in protest from sitting idly for so long but the soul gem beat like a black heart.

Replacing his glove onto his hand, Erikour placed the chest plate onto the machine, looking up at it. Its metal Thalmor face was looking down at him, waiting for its instructions; waiting for its prey.


	6. Pitiful Parchments and Peaceful Naps

Chapter Six: Pitiful Parchments and Peaceful Naps

Anjaarra had woken up early that morning and waited for Gro-Gluk and Hulgar to wake up. She could barely smell the fresh morning breeze in the dank cellar and knew that it would be a few more hours before they woke up. The trapdoor was still locked and there was no way that she could pick the lock. Not that she would want to, anyways. Those days were behind her; at least, she hoped they were. She sat at the base of the ladder, her tail flicking lazily about behind her. Her thoughts were swirling around S'Baadar, thinking of how she had learned of his death…

_It had been over a year ago. Dragons had just returned to Skyrim and Anjaarra was preparing for the Harvest's End holiday. S'Baadar had been away from home for a few weeks on an expedition with a local Khajiit caravan. Anjaarra had stayed behind so that she could tend to the crops and build up a little bit more money while he was away. _

_"It'll only be for a few days," He told her the morning before he left. "I'll come back and we'll have more gold than any harvest could bring, I promise." But those few days had turned into a few weeks and almost turned into a few months before they came… _

_Anjaarra had been quietly weeding the farm plot her and S'Baadar owned when the cracks of whips made her look up. It was a large caravan but it wasn't the Khajiit one her husband had left with: it was an Imperial Legion caravan. There were five wagons being pulled down the road, two large gray horses attached to each one. Every wagon was filled to the brim with rookie soldiers, their faces filled with fear and anxiety. Cavalry men followed alongside the wagons, all lead by General Tullius himself. His black stallion stood out among the dull browns and greens of the tundra. But what really made him noticeable was when he slowed down by the wooden fence that encompassed the Khajiit's farm._

_"Are you Anjaarra Chiran?" The general asked, his back straight and his head held high as the Khajiit looked up at him. She nodded at him, standing up straight._

_"Yes, sir, I am. What is this about?" She asked, a nervous tone in her voice making her tail flick quickly with worry. General Tullius gave her a look of pity with a mix of distrust before pulling out a rolled up piece of parchment._

_"I am sorry to tell you but your husband is dead." He said, holding out the parchment to her. It felt as if a war hammer had been rammed into Anjaarra's stomach, all the breath from her lungs leaving her._

_"D-dead…? N-no, he can't be…" She said, tears welling up in her eyes, her ears pressed back against her skull. General Tullius nodded gravelly at her._

_"I'm afraid so. He was executed for the traitorous crime of theft and destruction of private property." The general explained. Anjaarra was hit with another invisible blow to the stomach, her tears slipping down her furry cheeks. Her tail fell limp behind her as she dropped to her knees in the fresh tilled soil. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed. She knew that her husband had finally been caught at his own game but she didn't think the Empire would go as far as executing him._

_Tullius stared at her before sighing and tossing the parchment roll towards her. With a click of his tongue, he drove his horse back to the front of the still moving caravan, leading them away towards the frontline. The roll seemed to fly around in the air before it landed a few feet away from the crying cat-woman. Anjaarra peeked at it through her fingers, wiping away her tears vainly before snatching up the roll. Slowly unfurling it, she saw that it was just a death certificate with her husband's name on it._

_Anjaarra glared at it through her tears before screaming in anguish as she tore it up. She threw the pieces into the wind, large tears falling down her cheeks as the shreds of parchment slowly flew away in the breeze…_

A floorboard creaked above Anjaarra's head, making her snap out of daydream. She wiped away the pinpricks of tears out of her eyes before looking up. There were no other sounds from the floor above and the Khajiit sighed. It was probably just someone turning over in their sleep. She leaned back against the ladder, closing her eyes. She hoped to maybe get another hour's worth of sleep before Hulgar finally got up and released her from her stinking dungeon.

Her mind was clear for a moment, a strong wind blowing through an open window upstairs brought the soothing sounds of songbirds and rustling leaves. A small smile tweaked at her feline lips as she slowly drifted back to sleep, another memory playing before her closed eyes.

_It was several years back, when she first came to Skyrim. Anjaarra had first arrived in Falkreath by wagon from Chorrol. It was a relief to finally be out of the wagon after being stuck it for almost two weeks. Her whole body ached from all the bumps that the wooden wagon wheels had rolled over, but to finally stretch out her sore bones was a relief._

_"A pretty town, init?" The Bosmer wagon driver asked. Anjaarra only nodded as she looked around in amazement. There were pine trees everywhere and a few mountains outlined the horizon. Anjaarra, hailing from the arid desert of Elsweyr was captivated by the beauty of this foreign place. The Bosmer watched her before clearing his throat, grabbing her attention. "Now before you daze over into a comma or somethin', I'd like my pay." The wood elf said, looking at her with a scrutinizing eye. _

_Having come practically straight out of her homeland, she knew very little Imperial at that time. But she had learned very quickly what the word "pay" meant. She nodded quickly and pulled out her coin purse. She opened it and looked at the Bosmer. She quickly raked her brain for the right words to say._

_"Much pay?" She asked in her thick accent. The words rolled awkwardly over her tongue and seemed to fumble through her lips. The Bosmer smirked at her poor language skills._

_"Two hundred septims." He said, watching as the Khajiit looked back down at her coin purse. She just barely had enough. Carefully counting through the coins, she took out about twenty coins and put them in her pocket, handing the purse to the Bosmer. The wood elf quickly scooped it up and put it in his pocket. "Thanks, cat." He practically laughed as he turned the horse away from the Nordic town and back towards Cyrodiil. _

_Anjaarra watched him before turning towards Falkreath, taking in its beauty again. After another couple of minutes of soaking in the splendor of the town, the Khajiit slowly walked through the wooden gates and into the farming town. Even though it was the capital city of Falkreath Hold , the town was almost like an overpopulated farming town compared to other hold capitals. But to Anjaarra, it was the most amazing place she had ever seen._

_The dirt road was mostly filled with bustling Nords trying to get to some place other than where they were. Most were women and children trying to keep busy while the men were out working at the lumber mills or patrolling the area. The Great War had ended almost a decade before though hostilities between the Empire and Jarl Ulfric were growing ever stronger. But it seemed as though none of that had touched this town. A smile had crept across Anjaarra's face as she walked down the busy street, watching children ran past and as…_

_"Watch out!" A man shouted out behind her. Anjaarra turned only halfway to see what the shout was about but was plowed over, falling to the ground in a tangle of limbs and fur. She groaned quietly in pain, rubbing her head as she slowly sat up, looking at a bewildered looking Khajiit. It was only then that she realized that the man had called out in the Khajiit language._

_"Are you okay?" He asked the cat-woman sitting in front of him. She nodded and smiled._

_"That's one way to warm someone in this cold land." Her smile grew wider as the Khajiit man before her smiled and laughed softly. Seemingly jumping up to his feet, he helped to pull Anjaarra to her feet, stroking at his tiger-like sideburns. His fur was a pitch black with stripes of white. The burly sideburns that came off his face were smoky gray along with his eyebrows and the tufts of fur growing out of his ears. _

_"How is…?" He paused, waiting for the Khajiit woman before him to say her name. She smiled softly and her tail flicked playfully behind her as she told him her name. "Ah, well, how is Anjaarra today on this fine, but cold day?" He asked in their native tongue, taking her by the arm and leading her to the side of the street._

_"I am warm," She said, grinning before continuing. "I'm warmer now by your presence." She said, not noticing the group of Nords trailing behind them. The Khajiit man smiled and kept her close before dropping his voice to a very low whisper._

_"We're both in danger. Don't look!" He quickly said as Anjaarra went to look behind her but stopped at the distress in his voice, looking straight ahead as he lead her down an alley between two large buildings. "I accidentally brought you into a bit of a disagreement when I tangled into you in the street. I'm sorry, moon flower." He quietly said. Anjaarra's heart skipped a beat at the mention of her nick name. Even though her life was in danger, she couldn't help but smile._

_"I'll fight at your side…" It was her turn to wait for his name. The Khajiit man smiled and said his name was S'Baadar. .._

A sudden crash from the floor above made Anjaarra jump awake from her nap, her bright orange eyes quickly looking up at the wooden floor. A bout of laughter followed the crash, Gro-Gluk sputtering out curses that the Khajiit had never heard before. She sighed softly and sat back down at the base of the ladder, waiting patiently as she heard footsteps walk over to the trapdoor. A click was heard and the door opened, Hulgar's face present.

"Mornin', cat." He said, extending a hand to help her out. Anjaarra only glared slightly at the Nord before jumping up the ladder and onto the floor above. She grinned at Hulgar's shocked face. He had no idea that a Khajiit could move with such speed and grace. The Khajiit stretched out her tired limbs, yawning quietly before looking at the Nord.

"Are we leaving now or are you eating breakfast?" She asked, making sure not to say "we". She thought that she saw him flinch slightly at that but dismissed it from her mind.

"No, we're taking something to go. We've lost too much time as it is." Hulgar explained as he walked over to a cupboard and opened it. The opened doors revealed a stock full of all manner of weapons: Swords, daggers, hammers, axes. You name it, it was in that cupboard. Hulgar grinned like a child who just received a room full of gifts as he plucked two war axes off the cupboard's shelves. Hooking them to his belt, he pulled out an iron shield, sliding it onto his back.

"Feel free to take anything you might need." Hulgar said over his shoulder, stepping aside for the Khajiit. She looked at the Nord then at the cupboard of weapons. She already had her ebony dagger that Belethor gave her. There wasn't much else that she would need. Except maybe…

"A bow?" Hulgar said with a confused look as Anjaarra pulled out a hunting bow. She only nodded quietly and placed a quiver of iron arrows over her shoulder. She strapped the bow onto her back and adjusted everything until it was comfortable. With a content smile she looked at Hulgar.

"Now are you ready?" She asked but only received a shaking head in return. Holding back a groan of impatience, Anjaarra watched as Hulgar walked over to another cupboard and pulled it open, revealing armor. It was mostly just different kinds of cuirasses but there were some greaves to match with the cuirasses. With a quick look over, Hulgar pulled out some iron armor and slid it over his head. Strapping it into place, he readjusted his shield and axes to comfortable spots outside of armor. He pulled on some leather boots along with some leather gloves as well.

Taking a step forward, Anjaarra looked over the cupboard. Most of it looked heavy and bulky and it didn't seem like her fit either. But she spotted some rough leather armor that looked like it could be her fit. Slipping the bow and quiver off of her shoulder, she pulled off her dress. Hulgar seemed to flush with embarrassment at the Khajiit's semi-nude body for he looked away. She didn't care; he brought her into this and he was going to have to deal with the fact that she would change in front of him. Grabbing the leather armor, she slipped it on, fixing it to be more comfortable on her lean body. She grabbed the gloves to match but didn't bother with the boots; the boots wouldn't have feet on her feet, anyways. Most clothes made by the races of men didn't put beastfolk into consideration so most shoes didn't fit their feet. Anjaarra didn't mind though.

"Alright, now we're ready to go." Hulgar said as Anjaarra slung her bow and quiver back over shoulder. Gro-Gluk had quietly walked into the room with two knapsacks. She handed them to the pair, taking a step back.

"I put more food into your packs along with a map of some other people who will help you get to wherever your going." The Orc's gravelly voice explained. Even though she was meant to talk to both of the travelers, Gro-Gluk looked at Hulgar as she spoke. The Nord nodded.

"Thank you, Gro-Gluk," He put his hand on her shoulder as she did the same. "May Talos guide you."

"And you as well, my friend." They both nodded before they dropped their hands. Hulgar walked to the door and opened it. Anjaarra nodded her thanks to the Orc who only sneered at the Khajiit. Dropping her ears slightly, she quietly walked out the door and into the bright morning sun. Hulgar followed her and closed the door behind them, sighing quietly. He opened his mouth to say something but a tremendous roar cut him off. They both looked up into the sky above Riverwood to see the predatory flying pattern of a dragon.


	7. Another Delay from Their Adventure

Chapter Seven: Another Delay from Their Adventure

"Dragon!" Anjaarra heard a guard scream. She stood paralyzed in fear as the beast roared again and dove down towards the village. It seemed to pull back and barely skimmed over the village, blowing a gust of wind over the wooden buildings. The Khajiit barely stood on her feet as she fought off the paralysis and pulled out her bow. Hulgar was already pulling out his axes, watching the beast carefully.

The dragon circled the village two more times before he thundered down into one of the fields. Hulgar immediately ran in that direction as Anjaarra ran towards one of the buildings. She pushed her claws out through the gloves and jumped onto the side of the wooden structure, her claws sinking into the old wood. With lightning speed, the Khajiit climbed up the wall and onto the roof of the house. She had a clear view of the dragon, and a clear view of the Talos-worshipping Nord who whacked at the beast with his war axes.

With a shake of her, Anjaarra pulled out her bow and notched an arrow, taking aim at the dragon. It was rearing its head back and about to snap at Hulgar as she let go of the arrow. It whistled through the air and pierced its underbelly, making it rear back and howl its pain. Seeing his opportunity, Hulgar whacked at the beast's chest, the metal axes biting deep into the dragon's flesh. The dragon howled again before flapping its mighty wings and taking off into the sky. The gusts of wind pushed Hulgar onto his back, leaving him breathless as the dragon flew towards Anjaarra. She stared at it wide eyed as it opened its mouth wide, an orange glow seen at the back of it throat. The Khajiit quickly jumped off the side of the building as fire roared out of its mouth and lit the roof into a blaze.

With a shaky breath, Anjaarra pushed herself back up onto her feet and notched another arrow onto the bow, taking aim. The dragon circled around the village, roaring out its pain and frustration on the scared villagers below it. But the Khajiit took a deep breath, steadied her arm and released the arrow. The iron bolt sang through the air, embedding itself deep into the dragon's wing-arm. It bellowed out in pain as another arrow sank its iron head deep into its joint. As if by reflexes, the wing closed up and forced the dragon into a downward spiral. A smirk crossed the cat-woman's lips as the dragon plummeted into the earth, rocks and earth flying up into the air as it skidded to a halt just on the border of the town. Now it was Hulgar's turn.

The Nord ran full force at the once flying lizard, slashing at its furled wing. The dragon screamed in protest, trying to snap at the Nord but couldn't quite reach him. Another iron arrow flew its way, embedding itself into the loose skin under its neck. In a last attempt to rid itself of one of its annoyances, the dragon took a deep breath and blasted a fireball towards where Anjaarra stood. She yelped and leapt out of the way. But the fireball had crashed into a home and forced it to crumble, completely covering the Khajiit.

Hulgar didn't hear Anjaarra's calls for help as he hacked off the wing-arm, his triumphant smirk leaving his face as the dragon screamed out in pain. He dropped his axes and covered his ears, the dragon's screech still carrying on as it tried to fly but just flopped back down on the ground. Its roar eventually quieted down but Hulgar was still stunned on his knees. The dragon, furious and hungry, it turned to the knelt Nord, opening its mouth wide to snatch him up but a guard shot an arrow at it. The beast's head snapped towards the direction of the arrow, almost looking like it was glaring at the archer as it opened its mouth and lunged forward. The archer screamed for a second as the jaws enclosed around him and snapped his body into three pieces.

Hulgar shook his head and slowly stood up, feeling his knees buckle under him. He winced but forced himself to stay on his feet as he picked up his war axes and turned towards the hobbling lizard. The Nord kicked a rather large rock at the beast, seeing the stone bounce off its hind leg.

"Hey, ugly!" The dragon's head snapped back to look at the Nord. "Why don't you come and take a bite out of me?!" He shouted, holding back his fear as the beast turned towards him completely. From the corner of his eye, he saw Anjaarra crawl out of the rubble and saw her pull out what looked to be like an ebony dagger. Turning his gaze back to the beast before him, Hulgar raised his axes at the ready, glaring at it as it opened its jaws and roared its frustrations and anger towards the Nord. He stood strong in the wake of the shout, shouting back at it as Anjaarra ran and leapt onto the dragon's back. Shocked at the second opponent it still had, the dragon tried to look back at the Khajiit but Hulgar ran forward and started swinging his axes at the fire-breathing lizard. In a howl of pain, the dragon looked back towards Hulgar but all of its efforts were in vain. With a quick and lethal stroke, Anjaarra plunged her dagger deep into the beast's skull right between its eyes. A stream of blood squirted out, covering Hulgar with its crimson red blood. The Nord grimaced but ignored the liquid as he drove his own axes into the base of its neck, hacking away until the head fell away.

Anjaarra yelped quietly and fell to the ground with the head, the rest of the dragon's body falling to the ground. A deep shudder rumbled through the ground as the beast's body came to a rest. Struggling to her feet, Anjaarra stood up and pulled her dagger out of its skull, wiping it clean in the grass. Hulgar was drenched in blood as he tried to wipe his face clean. Sheathing her dagger, the Khajiit walked over to the Nord.

"Stay still," She said softly to him, grabbing her tail. Unsure of what she was about to do, Hulgar took a step back as Anjaarra wiped his face clean with her tail. She grimaced at the sticky warmth of the dragon's blood on her tail but it helped to easily clean up the Nord's face. He flushed slightly, clearing his throat.

"Th-thanks," He stammered, turning away to clean off his axes. Anjaarra grinned and nodded.

"Any time," She purred quietly as people began to crowd around the corpse of the beast. A young boy, probably around the age of ten or so stepped forward and hesitantly reached out a hand. He looked over at Hulgar and Anjaarra.

"I-is it dead…?" The boy asked nervously. Anjaarra looked at him and at the people around him, seeing that they all were thinking the same thing. With a strong nod of her head, Anjaarra grinned.

"Yes, the beast is dead and it won't bother you good people any longer." Anjaarra said her voice full of confidence. The boy grinned and touched the dragon, everybody else doing the same.

Hulgar watched them as they swarmed the dragon, marveling at the dead beast or taking off one of its scales. This is why he had joined the Stormcloacks: to rid the world of dragons. Okay, so the Dragonborn had found out that it had nothing to do with the Thalmor bringing about the return of dragons but they could've helped it along. With a final glance at the gawking crowd, Hulgar walked towards the river and washed away the blood from his armor. Anjaarra came to his side and did the same thing, cleaning the blood off her tail and fur. After they finished, the pair stood up and looked at each other.

"Ready to go?" Hulgar asked the Khajiit. She nodded her head.

"Yes, but unless you plan on carrying me the whole way to wherever the hell we're going, I suggest you buy us a couple of horse." Anjaarra said with a grin. Hulgar looked at her before grinning.

"Fine, whatever makes you happy." He said with a mocking smirk. Anjaarra playfully punched his shoulder before walking towards the stables, finally ready to set onto their journey.


	8. And the Hunt Begins

Chapter Eight: And the Hunt Begins

Erikour and ten of the Embassy's best soldiers rode along the barren road, the tracker machine sitting quietly in the back of a covered wagon. Erikour was at the front of the pack, his back straight and his helmet gleaming as he rode on his bright gold colored mare. Most of the Justiciars rode on similar geldings, riding down the mountain road. Erikour had received his orders from the First Emissary to track down the Talos-worshipper around midnight and, only a few hours later, hiss group was making great progress. They were just starting to pass through Dragon Bridge when the Justiciar heard an odd clinking sound from the covered wagon.

"Halt," Erikour said in a firm voice. All of his followers quickly followed the order, the mares pulling the wagon stopping in their tracks. Turning his own golden horse to face the wagon, he slowly nudged it forward, riding to the back where the flap to the burlap covering was. He lifted it slowly, looking inside at the golden metal machine. Even though it's chest piece was back in place, the soul gem's glow could still be seen, its face covered with the soft, dark purple glow. The machine was looking intently at its master, its arms fidgeting as if anticipating future battles it will fight in.

"Where is the worshipper?" The Justiciar asked quietly, watching the Dwemer machine. The machine sat idly for a second before it slowly crawled out of the wagon. With all eight legs on the ground, it stretched out to its full height before pointing its arms in a southeastern direction. A grating voice sounded from the machine's body, making the Thalmor wince slightly.

"Riverwood." It seemed to say, its arms still pointing in that direction. Erikour stared at the machine before looking up at the sky. Secunda and Masser were still reigning high in the black night sky and there was no sign that the sun was coming up soon. It would take almost a day and a half to get to Riverwood, that's taking into account that the group didn't stop for breaks of any kind. He rubbed his fingers over his narrow chin, his eyes clouded over with deep thoughts. All eyes were on the lead Justiciar, even the metal eyes of the war machine seemed to be watching him. After several minutes of pondering, Erikour decided on a plan.

"Tracker," Erikour said to the machine. It seemed to perk up at its name, its arms still twitching for a fight. "Travel ahead and try to catch up to the worshipper. If the sun comes up before you reach him, take shelter and we will try to catch up. If we do not find you by nightfall, resume your course. Understand?" The Justiciar explained. The machine stared at its master for a moment before turning towards the southeastern horizon, its spider legs taking off at a speed that would shun even the fastest creature.

Erikour watched the tracker with a smirk before turning to his comrades. With a silent air of formallity and leadership, he rode back to the front of the group and led his horse back down the road. The other Thalmor paused for a moment before following their appointed leader.

"Justiciar Erikour," One of the Thalmor behind him asked. Erikour slowed down as the Justiciar who had spoken caught up. "What is your plan? I thought First Emissary wanted us to stay at the tracker's side at all times?" He spoke with a strong voice, like a Thalmor should, but there was a slight quiver in his voice. It was perhaps fear that the Emissary would discover that they didn't follow her orders. Or maybe excitement for the soon to be appointed award for their capture of a Talos worshipper.

"Sometimes, Justiciar Aldaril, you need to think of how to best complete a task then how to complete it while complying to your successor." Erikour said, keeping his back straight to help keep the look of being in charge. Aldaril tried to do the same but Erikour seemed to pull it off easier. "First Emissary told me that when I finished my first assignment that she had given me." A small smile crossed his deep golden lips as his eyes glazed over at the memory.

"I had just been positioned under her command up here in Skyrim. I hated everything about this land; the people, the climate, even the alcohol was terrible. I guess the First Emissary was tired of hearing me grumble and complain because she called me into her office. Now, I was assigned here as a guard for the embassy grounds, but she decided to send me off on a task. At first I didn't think anything of it. I was actually excited to do something other than stand around by the gate and tell everyone who wasn't a pure citizen of the Aldmeri Dominion to go away." Erikour said as they rode down the road that leveled out ahead of them. Aldaril was silent beside him, waiting patiently for Erikour to continue on.

"But I hadn't expected the First Emissary to send me off into a cave and tell me not to return until I had done what she wanted. Which she had done. See, nearby the Embassy, there used to be a cave that was rumored to be filled with all manner of vile creatures and the Emissary wanted me to go in there and clear them out. I was a little afraid at first but I told her that I would be back before she knew it. But before I could leave, she told me something. She told me that I couldn't bring a light into the cave or use any sort of light source magic. I didn't think anything of it and told her that I wouldn't."

"But wasn't it hard to see when you entered the cave?" Aldaril asked, his curious eyes looking over at Erikour. Even though he looked like Erikour's height, Aldaril was a few years younger and was fresh out of Alinor. The lead Justiciar nodded his head at the rookie's question.

"Yes, it was terribly so. There wasn't even any glowing fungus in there. But I didn't want to disobey the First Emissary's orders so I walked around in the dark for hours. The whole time I didn't run into a single monster, either. That's when I thought that something was amiss. I didn't hear another sound or even smell anything funny either. I was about to pull out a torch and some flint when I remembered that the First Emissary told me not to. I stood there in the dark, trying to think of what to do. Then it clicked. I let a bout of flames out of my palm, lighting up the cave. There was nothing in there at all. The entrance had even been covered up by some fake wall." Erikour said. Aldaril gave him a confused look.

"A fake wall? But I thought it was a natural cave?" The rookie questioned. Erikour nodded again at the question.

"It was. After I used the flames to light up the cavern, I heard the First Emissary's voice. She had been using a suit of armor that made her blend into her surroundings and even though I couldn't see her, I could tell that she was standing in front of me. She said that it was test to see how long it would take to solve her test. When I asked by what she meant by a test, she removed her helmet so I could see her face. She had this huge grin on her face and told me that I was one of her new Justiciars." Erikour grinned at the fond memory and at the amazed gasp from Aldaril.

"She used that cave as a test?" The rookie asked, seeing his leader nod an asnwer of yes. "But what exactly was she testing you for?"

"I had asked her the same question, obviously after I thanked her for the honor of joining the Justiciar rank. She told me that most Thalmor that come straight out of Alinor always follow word for word. So by telling me that I couldn't use any torches or light magic, she wanted to see how I would deal with that. The First Emissary then when on to say that using my flame magic was a fantastic idea but could've been drastic if there was some form of unnatural gas in the cave. But she still congratulated me on using my head and "disobeying" her orders. And now, seven years later, she still counts on me for her important tasks that need to be handled." Erikour said to the rookie. Aldaril grinned and looked ahead of him, the road still winding almost endlessly through the dynamic terrain of Skyrim.

"Well, I hope you can use your head so that we can there faster." Aldaril said, a smirk crossing his lips. Erikour scoffed and smirked as well, riding along with the rest of the group.


	9. Rude Jokes and Golden Killers

Chapter Nine: Rude Jokes and Golden Killers

The sun had started to reach its peak as the Khajiit and Nord decided to take a break. For the past few hours they had been following the same river that passed through Riverwood, but now they were almost at the lake that fed it. Hulgar slid out of his horse's sadle and lead it over to a tree that stood next to the river. He tied it to a low hanging branch, looking back at Anjaarra who still sat up on her horse, looking down into the river's slow swirling waters. He had no idea what she was thinking of and it was hard to tell with her stoic face.

"We're going to take a break here for about an hour before we continue on. Feel free to eat or, um, do whatever you have to do." He said quietly to Anjaarra, receiving only a solemn nod from the cat-woman. He couldn't help but wonder and even somewhat worry for her. "What's wrong?" He asked her. Her head snapped towards him, her orange eyes blinking away the tears that once stood in them. It looked like she was about to say something but she only shook her head.

"Nothing… I'm fine." Her voice had quivered slightly with choked up tears but Hulgar didn't say anything. He only sighed softly and walked over to the river bank. The cat-woman got off of her horse and tied her it up next to the Nord's, both of them starting to graze quietly at the green grass. Anjaarra patted the thick neck of her horse before looking over at Hulgar. He was sitting on a large rock beside the river, a bottle of ale in one hand and what looked to be strips of smoked venison in the other. Her stomach grumbled at the sight of the food, her hands instinctively pulling the knapsack off of her horse's saddle and pulling out an apple. Even though it was just a simple apple, her mouth watered and she had to lick her lips to keep from drooling.

With a quick bite, her teeth sank into the crisp flesh of the apple, pulling the fruit into her greedy mouth and chewing the sweet chunk quickly. A loud purr rumbled out of her neck, her stomach grumbling for more. She took another quick bite, chewing it a little slower. Her tail flicked happily behind her, the purr stayed loud and steady.

Hulgar looked over at the purring Khajiit, a small smile playing with his lips. He took a long drink out of the ale bottle before turning his head to look at the woman fully. She was still wearing her leather armor but that didn't block away her beauty. Hulgar had stopped trying to block away those thoughts an hour ago; they just kept filtering into his mind no matter what he thought or said to himself. A part of him wanted to praise her and officially thank her for saving him. If it wasn't for her, he'd probably would be dead or being tortured by the Thalmor.

A shiver shook his body at the thought of those golden devils touching him again. He hated they way they had beaten him and then asked their questions. Just thinking of them made the fury in his heart stir and his hands twitched to grab his weapons and find the closest Thalmor so he could hack them apart. But he shook his head to stop thinking of that sort of nonesense. He could get himself killed like that. His best bet would be to stay low and to try and get out of Skyrim as fast as he could. But where to go, he had no idea…

"So, have you figured out where we're going now?" The purring voice of Anjaarra asked. Hulgar snapped out of thoughts and looked at the Khajiit who stood off to his side. He looked at her face before shaking his head.

"No, not yet…" He told her. She huffed with impatience and shook her head with frustration.

"I'd wish that you'd hurry up and figure something out. I hate feeling like an animal on the run." She said as she turned away from the Nord.

"You are an animal on the run." Hulgar said. He stopped but not soon enough. Anjaarra paused in midstep before slowly looking back at the Nord.

"W-what'd you say?" She stammered. Hulgar cleared his vioce and put down the jerky and ale before standing up.

"Anjaarra, I meant that as a joke. Don't take it personal." He told her, not really knowing what else to say. She glared at him, her ears folding back slightly.

"Yeah, I'll try not to. Because walking carpets like me don't have feelings, is that it?" She glared harder at him before scoffing and looking away towards her horse. Hulgar looked at her before walking towards her.

"Anjaarra, wait." He started but she didn't hear any of it. She quickly untied her horse and mounted it. Before Hulgar could get close enough to stop her, she kicked her horse into a gallop, riding back towards Riverwood. The Nord watched her retreating back, sighing angrily.

"Great… Now what do I do?" He grumbled to himself. He glared down at the ground before looking back at her now dwindling backside. A part of him wanted to follow her and tell her that he was sorry but the other part of him told him not to. People had already seen his face in Riverwood and if he went there again, they'd surely recongize him and it'd make it all the more easier for the Thalmor. With a tremendous sigh, he sat back down on the rock next to the river, putting his elbows on his knees and hiding his face in his hands.

_Nothing ever goes as I plan it,_ he thought. _Everything's a complete mess…_ He looked up from his hands and looked up at the almost perfect sky, glaring at how it seemed like nothing could taint the perfect, cloudlessness of the sky. His mind wandered towards the mighty Talos, who was probably looking down at the conflicted Nord and laughing at him. His life had always been a joke, a bard's tale that was both sad and twisted. With a pang of remorse and sorrow, he turned his dark plum eyes back down into the swirling waters of the river, thinking back into a different time that had been twisted by fate…

_The sun had not yet risen above the trees but Hulgar could hear her in the other room, giggling and talking quietly. He had been pretending to sleep for the past hour just so he could listen to her. Once the sun came up, she barely spoke and she never smiled. But now, with the moons still up, she wouldn't stop talking until the last second. _

_With a smile, he slowly sat up in his bed, glancing through the open doorway into the living space. The fire was already lit in the hearth that sat in the center of the room. And there she was. His sister was about twelve then, and she seemed to be talking to her stuffed kitten that he had gotten her when she was young. He smiled wider as she stroked its ears and sang a lullaby to it. _

_Hulgar remembered this day quite well. It was the day that his life had been torn apart. The day that his heart burned in anger for the golden beasts that called themselves superior. It was the day that they killed his sister._

_His sister was still sitting by the burning firepit, singing the lullaby to her stuffed kitten when a sudden crash came from the front of the house. Hulgar had stood up from his bed when he saw Thalmor soldiers kick down the door and storm into the house. His sister had started to scream as a soldier ran towards her and grabbed her by the arm, yanking her to her feet. _

_"Hey! Don't touch her!" Hulgar shouted at them, quickly running out of his room at them. One of the Thalmor that had stormed into the house pulled out an elven made sword and pointed the tip at his chest._

_"Halt citizen." The Thalmor said coolly, a sadistic smirk crossing the golden lips. "We have word that this child communicates with the blasphemous god, Talos." The golden skinned elf seemed to spit out the name of the man-god like it was a poison on his tongue. "And for that, she must be dealt with the most harshest of punishments. Death."_

_ Hulgar stared at the blade that was pointed at his chest before looking at his young sister in the arms of one of the soldiers. A knife of the same make of the sword was held against her neck, pricks of blood starting to well up around the blade. Her eyes were full of fear as she stared at her brother, tears welling up in her wide blue eyes. They both held a long stare before Hulgar turned to the Thalmor who held the sword at his chest._

_"Over my dead body!" He shouted out at the tyrant. His large hands quickly grabbed the slender wrist of the elf, twisting it hard before hearing a loud crack. The Thalmor screamed out in pain as Hulgar scooped up the sword and quickly slashed a gash in the chest of the soldier holding the knife to his sister. She screamed in panic as the knife slid against her neck but no blood followed, the Thalmor that had been holding her stumbling back and grabbing at the gaping wound in his chest._

_"Run, Sotte, run!" Hulgar shouted at his sister as a soldier lunged at her. The soldier was intercepted with the elven sword slashing through his gut, his body crumbling into halves onto the floor. Sotte gave another scream before she ran into Hulgar's room, taking cover under his bed after slamming his door and locking it. _

_Hulgar couldn't risk a look to make sure his sister was safe for more Justiciars seem to flood into the house through the broken door. Scooping up a dropped elven mace, the Nord stood in a battle stance. The weapons were raised high as two Thalmor lunged at him at opposite sides. He dodged the soldier on his right before holding the mace down low to trip the lunging soldier from his left. A quick slash from his sword cut a deep gash through the falling Thalmor's neck. A sudden flash of pain surged through his right calf as an arrow pierced his brown cloth pants and through his flesh. He screamed out in pain before slashing out blindly at a Thalmor, hitting the elf in the chest by sheer luck. But it wasn't enough to hold them all back._

_As they swarmed into the house, he tried to fight them off but they kicked the sword and mace out of his hands. The arrow that had pierced had been dipped in a paralysis poison for his body was slow at cooperating to his overactive brain's commands. He tried to grab for the weapons as two Thalmor grabbed him and pinned him against the far wall as a Thalmor general walked into the struggling Nord's home. Hulgar tried to scream out at him as the elf leisurely strolled over to the locked door, kicking it down with one quick hit with his boot. A yelp was heard when the door hit the wooden floor, another Thalmor swarming into the bedroom to grab at Hulgar's sister._

_He tried to scream out her name but nothing came out of his swelling throat, it becoming increasingly hard to breathe as the soldiers dragged his sister into the living room. He let out another noiseless scream as the Thalmor general grabbed the young girl by the hair and lifted her into the air. Tears of fear and pain flooded down her face as the golden elf raised an elven greatsword in his other hand._

_"Today, we purge this tainted world of another traitor. Today, we will bathe in the blood of the unholy in hopes of finding the rest of these scum sucking bastards." The general said, his voice crisp and elegant, but it oozed with satanic evil as he thrust his sword into the gi-…_

A scream from down the road snapped Hulgar out of nightmarish reverie. He looked up and down the road towards where Anjaarra had left him. Another scream pierced the otherwise quiet air, the cat-woman's distress present in the scream. Without another moment's hesitation, Hulgar quickly grabbed his knapsack and ran to his horse. He didn't care if he lost more time in his race away from the Thalmor; he wasn't going to stand around and let another person get hurt when he could prevent it.


	10. Peaceful Dreams and Vengeful Flashbacks

**Author's Note: This chapter has a sexual scene between Anjaarra and S'Baadar so if you're not comfortable with reading that sort of thing, feel free to skip to the end of this chapter where I will review anything of importance that happened in this chapter.**

* * *

Chapter Ten: Beautiful Dreams and Vengeful Flashbacks

Anjaarra stared down at the giant frostbite spiders that surrounded the tree she had climbed. They had jumped out of the brush and attacked her horse, which was now being chewed apart by a couple of the grotesque arachnids. And she was about to be next on menu.

"Hulgar!" She screamed out again, looking for him with her bright orange eyes. She felt the tree shudder under her and she diverted her gaze down at a spider steadily climbing up the side of the trunk. She screamed out in fear when it reached out with a hairy leg to grab her. With a quick motion, she pulled out her ebony dagger and slashed at it, the spider screeching as the tip of its leg fell away to the ground below. The frightened Khajiit gave a quick kick and sent the spider falling down with the leg.

"Hulgar!" Anjaarra screamed out again, another spider jumping up the trunk, anger seeming to burn in its many eyes. Anjaarra went to slash at it with her dagger but the spider flung its legs out at her, striking her arm and catching her off balance. One moment her feet were planted firmly on the branch, the next she seemed to be slowly falling down to the horde of spiders below her. She squeezed her eyes shut as she landed on top of one of the furry beasts, hearing its body break beneath her weight.

Another scream of her's left her mouth as she felt the furry legs wrap around her, trying hard not to let their fangs bite into her. She didn't hear the horse gallop over to her and the whistle of an axe hitting the spider on top of her. She did feel, however, the splatter of green blood fall over her body and the weight of the creature lifted off of her by the force of the blow. The cat-woman nervously peeked through her eye lids, watching Hulgar leap off his horse and swing at another spider. Anjaarra slowly sat up and watched the Nord fight off the spiders, a smile crossing her lips. She really hadn't expected him to come back for her but here he was, risking his life for his. Maybe he did…

"Ahh!" She screamed out, her eyes bulging as she felt the spider's fangs force themselves deep into her shoulder. Her bright orange eyes watched as Hulgar looked over at her, a look of horror crossing his face and was slowly replaced with burning rage. He quickly lifted his war axe and gave it a good throw. The weapon slowly spun through the air and plunged into the spider's face, the force of the axe forcing it off her, the fangs still deep in her shoulder. But Anjaarra's body was already numb from the poison, her world slowly blacking out as she fell forward and collapsed against the ground.

"Anjaarra…!" Hulgar shouted out after the shock left his body. He dropped his other war axe and ran over to the fallen Khajiit, dropping down beside her and rolling her onto her back. The spider's fangs stuck out of her shoulder near the base of her neck, red blood sliding out of the wounds. Hulgar stared down at her, flashes of his sister's bloodied body replacing the cat's.

_No,_ he thought. _This can't happen again…_ He felt a tear escape from his plum eyes as he gently picked her up and walked over to his horse. The Nord laid her over his horse as he easily as he could before mounting the gelding himself and quickly rode back down the path to where they had stopped earlier.

"Stay with me, Anjaarra…" Hulgar said quietly, stroking her cheek. "Stay with me..." He rode to the tree they stopped at earlier, jumping off his horse and pulling the Khajiit into his arms before carefully carrying her to the river. He kneeled down next to the river bank and laid her down in the sand. With as much care as he could, he slowly pulled off her leather cuirass, trying not to look at her fuzzy breasts. Instead, he focused his gaze on the fangs that were still plunged deep into her shoulder. The blood had matted the fur around the wounds and a green colored liquid tinged the sticky liquid.

"Talos help me…" Hulgar said quietly. He wrapped his fingers around one fang, clenched his teeth and yanked it out of her shoulder. Her body convulsed from the pain but not a single whimper was emitted from Anjaarra's lips. Hulgar stared at her with a worried glance but quickly pulled out the other fang, tossing them into the river. Blood only trickled out of the wounds, the venom in her veins closing up her arteries. With clenched teeth and beads of sweat starting to drip down his face, the Nord quickly brought a healing warmth to his hands, praying to Talos as he placed his glowing orange fingers over the wounds. After several seconds that felt like hours, the wounds slowly started to heal up and close, two bald spots replacing the once gaping wounds.

Hulgar released the breath he didn't realize he was holding, watching as the furry breasts slowly rose and fell with steady breaths. He watched them for a moment before looking at the Khajiit's face. It looked peaceful and pain free but the Nord knew she would need rest. He stood up and tied up his horse before grabbing his knapsack and the blanket. He walked back over to Anjaarra and spread the blanket over her, smiling softly at her sleeping form.

After reluctantly looking away from her, Hulgar set up camp and started a fire. He knew Anjaarra would need her rest and that she probably wouldn't be up any time soon. At the moment, he didn't care; this would be a great time to plan out where the hell he was actually planning on going. The Nord sat down by the fire across from the Khajiit's sleeping body, pulling out a map of Skyrim. It was one of the maps that Gro-Gluk had given him and it showed him all of the locations of people who would help him out. His plum eyes scanned it over before they fell upon a very interesting annotation…

_"I'll fight at your side," Anjaarra told S'Baadar in her fevered dream. Her body had slipped into a dream state since the spider bit her and all her mind could do was dream. S'Baadar grinned at her, bringing out his claws as Anjaarra did the same. She didn't care what the Khajiit man had done to anger these Nords, she only cared that they were going to try and hurt him._

_Both of the Khajiit stopped at a dead end in the alley, slowly turning to face the group of five Nords. They all varied in height and weight but they all looked equally angered. A short Nord with a bushy brown beard stepped forward. He pointed a short stubby finger at S'Baadar._

_"You've stolen our money for the last time, cat!" He shouted at the calm faced Khajiit. "And now we'll make both of you miserable lowlives pay!" As the last word left the Nord's mouth, all five of them lounged at the pair, but the two Khajiit were already on the move. With all of their claws extended, they each pounced onto the building behind them and climbed up the dry wooden wall. Anjaarra laughed down at the men below her who cursed and spat at them as the two Khajiit climbed onto the roof of the building._

_"Did you see the looks on their faces?" Anjaarra laughed out as the pair collapsed against the roof. S'Baadar laughed and smiled over at her._

_"It was a very warming scene, wasn't it, moon flower?" He asked her quietly. She smiled back at him and nodded, her tail flicking quickly with excitement. She didn't know what it was about him, but he seemed so exotic, so amazing, so… With one quick motion, Anjaarra wrapped her arms around S'Baadar's neck and kissed his lips. Anjaarra couldn't remember telling herself to do that but she didn't regret it. The cat-man greatfully returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her thin waist. Anjaarra had never been with a man before but she didn't worry about that with S'Baadar; the cat-man made everything feel so natural and right._

_The two Khajiit broke the kiss only to embrace in another one, this one stronger and hotter than the last. S'Baadar's hands were firm against Anjaarra's lower back, holding her body close against his. A purr rumbled softly from their throats as Anjaarra broke the kiss and licked softly at his neck, her fingers wrapped in his smokey fur. A grin played across the cat-man's lips as he gently but firmly pushed Anjaarra onto her back and climbed on top of her._

_"Ever made love before, moon flower?" S'Baadar purred. Anjaarra's ears flicked back in a gesture of embarrassment, but she slowly shook her head. The man purred and smiled, softly licking her cheek. "Neither have I." A smile crept across the cat-woman's face. She knew it was probably a lie but she didn't care at that moment. All she wanted was S'Baadar and everything that he could give her._

_With lust-filled speed, Anjaarra quickly unbuttoned her blouse and pulled it off her body, S'Baadar's gold speckled eyes watching her with a smile. She smiled at him as she watched him pull off his shirt and began to undo his belt. They didn't care about being exposed out in the open for the roof kept them away from prying and disapproving eyes. But with a soft, gentle roar, S'Baadar pounced at Anjaarra and playfully pinned her down, grinning as she giggled and nipped at his neck. She still wore her skirt but they had no need to rush through their fun._

_"These lands are too cold, S'Baadar," Anjaarra whispered up to the man who hovered over her. "But we can make them as hot as the desert sands." She grinned as she watched a shiver run down S'Baadar's body before he turned and dominated her lips with his. His large hands let go of hers so that he could pull off her last article of clothing, their bodies twitching to become one. The cat-woman's skirt was off in one quick motion along with his pants, both of them exposed to the other. Anjaarra stared down at S'Baadar's member wide eyed for a moment before spreading her legs wide for him, relaxing underneath him._

_S'Baadar gave her a look that asked if she was certain, but after a firm nod from the cat-woman, he grinned and slowly entered her. A surge of pain and pleasure rocketed through Anjaarra's body, her arms instinctively wrapping around her lover's neck and gripping his shoulders tight. He winced slightly, softly breathing in her ear._

_"It's alright, moon flower. I promise it won't hurt after this." He breathed airly into her ear, her body trembling at the whisper. She nodded slowly before relaxing her body and took a deep breath. S'Baadar grinned before he thrusted slowly into her, his arms wrapped around her waist. He buried his face into her neck and bit gently, their tails entwined with each other. A soft purr rumbled from Anjaarra's throat as the cat-man picked up the pace, his member pumping faster into her._

_Anjaarra had never felt anything as amazing as this. She had heard stories of how great making love had felt but none of the stories came close to comparison to what she was feeling. A moaning purr wafted from S'Baadar as he pulled her body closer against his. She arched her back and pushed her breasts up as he thrusted faster and harder into her. With a lusty moan, the Khajiit man latched onto one of her nipples, sucking greedily. Anjaarra moaned and winced, gripping the back of his head as she thrusted up against his member. _

_"P-please don't stop, S'Baadar…" She purred to him, matching her thrust with his. He purred out another moan, their tails tightening around each other. They were so close, their bodies burning with lust and passion. With a quick, simultaneous motion, the Khajiit lovers covered each other's mouths as loud moans escaped their lips, orgasms rippling through the bodies. They both shook and shuddered in each other's arms as the orgasms rippled through their bodies before they collapsed against the roof. Soft mews of pleasure escaped their lips, their arms wrapping around tight and keeping their bodies close._

_ Anjaarra lay close against S'Baadar's body, breathing in his deep, earthy scent. She had her face pressed up against his chest so she could listen to his heart beat. He had fallen asleep after a few minutes of stroking her ears but she didn't mind. A smile crept across her lips as she pulled his arms tighter around her. She hadn't even been in Skyrim for a day and she had already fallen in love…_

Hulgar looked up when he had heard a soft moan from Anjaarra. At first he thought she was getting up but then he had heard another moan and her body had rocked softly and he realized that she was just dreaming. He looked back down at the map, staring at the interesting annotation. It was an arrow pointing at Dushnikh Yal, an Orc stronghold that sat at the border of Skyrim. Gro-Gluk had also added a note next to the arrow: _If you become blood-kin, the orcs here will show you way into Cyrodiil without using any roads._

"Blood-kin?" Hulgar whispered to himself. He wasn't sure what the term meant and he had never heard Gro-Gluk mention that word before either. He sighed and shrugged before rolling up the map. Maybe Anjaarra would know the meaning to that word, if she ever woke up.

Hulgar looked at the now quiet cat-woman, his eyes searching over her still form. The blanket was still covering her body but he could still make out the form of her breasts and the width of her hips. His plum eyes continued to stare at her body as his mind turned to wonder what she looked like totally naked. He bit his lip softly as he stared at her. She probably wouldn't wake up if he took a peek at her…

"H-Hulgar…?" Her voice stammered uneasily, her eyes blinking open. The Nord held back a sigh before he crawled over to where she lay.

"I'm right here, cat." He whispered softly, staring at her. Her orange eyes stared at him, but the orange wasn't as bright, as if still dulled over by the venomous bite.

"W-where are we?" She asked, starting to sit up. Her breath was suddenly taken from her and a jolt of pain shot through her shoulder and down her spine. She screamed out before falling back, Hulgar's arm barely cushioning her fall.

"Take it easy, Anjaarra. Your probably still pretty weak from that spider bite." He softly explained to her, not realizing how close his body was to hers. Anjaarra had noticed it quickly though, her tail fidgeting awkwardly under the blanket. "Right now, you just need some rest, alright?" The Khajiit stared up at him before nodding slowly.

"A-alright, Hulgar… Thank you." She whispered weakly. Hulgar was about to ask her what for but she had quickly fallen back asleep. He stared at her sleeping face for a moment before sighing quietly. The blanket she had been covered with had fell down to her waist when she had tried to sit up, revealing her upper body. Though his body told him to explore what the unconscious Khajiit had to offer, the Nord reluctantly recovered her body, sitting a few feet away from her.

_She'll probably sleep for a few more hours,_ Hulgar thought as he leaned back against a rock that stuck out of the ground. He stared into the low burning fire. His thoughts soon turned to his past again, thinking of the first day he went into battle…

_It had been almost a year back. The Dragonborn had joined the side of the Empire but Jarl Ulfric didn't care; he used that as his excuse to finally take Whiterun city, sending his best men into battle. Even if he couldn't have the Jagged Crown, the rebel leader was determined to free Skyrim from the corrupt Empire. And Hulgar, of course, wanted to help his idol as best as he could._

_And so he stood there, waiting for Galmar Stone-Fist to finish his speech so that he could show those Imperial bastards who truly ruled over Skyrim. He couldn't remember what all Galmar said, but Hulgar could remember the pride filling up in his chest as he thought of all the glory he would receive for fighting for Skyrim's freedom and indepedence._

_After a few minutes more, Galmar took out his warhammer and charged into battle, Hulgar and the other Nord soldiers quickly following him. Their battle cries filled the stormy air as they charged through the destroyed tundra ground to the outer walls of Whiterun. Imperial archers showered the advancing Nords with iron arrows but it wasn't enough to stop them. One of the other soldiers had taken them out with a few fireball blasts, the true sons and daughters of Skyrim quickly advancing through the wooden defenses to the main gate. Hulgar's heart was pumping from all of the excitement and adrenaline. But all of that stopped when they saw him._

_The Dragonborn stood at the main gates, his daedric armor seemed to draw the light out of the air, an evil magickal aura eminating from the suit of armor. He had two devillishly long looking daedric swords pulled out and poised at the ready, his silver gray eyes staring at them from his helmet. Everybody had frozen still in fear at the sight of him, even Galmar did, the warhammer drooping to the side in his hands. _

_Hulgar couldn't remember what happened next but all of a sudden he heard a loud booming sound and he was sent flying back into the air. He crashed back against a wooden post but not everyone was so lucky. Others that flew back were impaled on a few wooden spikes or were completely blown off of the battlements themselves. It only took Hulgar a few seconds to get his bearings and quickly get back onto his feet. He had grabbed his war axe and charged back into the battle. The Dragonborn still stood there, locked in battle with Galmar Stone-Fist._

_With a bloodthirsty shout, Hulgar charged into the battle, striking at the Dragonborn with Galmar. He had thought that he and the general would be able to overtake him but the legendary warrior was easily holding his ground, parrying and blocking each blow they dealt. Hulgar would swing a blow from the side, the Dragonborn would reflect it with a sword. Galmar would bring his warhammer down from above, the Dragonborn would either dodge out of the way or knock away the oversized mallet. This went on for almost an hour before the Dragonborn grew bored of the game._

_As Galmar brought his warhammer up to strike again, the Dragonborn quickly sliced off the iron head of the hammer before turning to Hulgar and slashing at his chest. The world seemed to slow down for Hulgar. He had seen the blade quickly slide across his chest but it seemed like it took an eternity for the blade to slide away, drops of his blood following the jagged, black blade. The Nord slowly fell back from the force of the blow, his plum eyes slowly glazing over in shock as his blood streamed out of his chest._

_He couldn't move, or at least he didn't try to, for several minutes. It was a sudden tugging on his arm that made him jolt back to awareness. It was Galmar, telling him that they were retreating and that he had to get his ass into gear. Ignoring the burning in his chest, Hulgar shakily got to his feet and tried to keep up with Galmar as they retreated back into the hills, the Imperials shouting out in victory against the rebels. Anger and fury burned in Hulgar's chest as he weakly ran after Galmar Stone-Fist, his mind furiously whirling around the battle with the Dragonborn. He had lost that battle but he would ensure that the next wouldn't be lost so easily, he was sure of it…_

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**Author's Note: Okay, so Anjaarra had been bitten by a Frostbite spider and slipped into unconsciousness. While she was out, she had a dream/flashback about her and S'Baadar's first time. While this was happening, Hulgar discovered a place where the pair might go to: Dushnihk Yal, an Orc stronghold. But for him to get helped by the orcs, he must first become blood-kin. He isn't sure what that means and so he decides to ask Anjaarra once she wakes up. While he's waiting for her to wake, he spaces out and thinks of his first real battle, which was the Stormcloacks' failed attempt at trying to take Whiterun. Hulgar and Galmar both fought the Dragonborn and all three survived the battle but Hulgar barely survived from a chest wound. That's about all that happened in this chapter. I just want to say thanks for reading and following my story. It really means a lot. **


	11. Technical Difficulties

For almost twelve hours the tracker scuttled and ran through the terrain of Skyrim only to come to rest at the Lone Mountain in Whiterun hold. The ancient Dwemer machine could feel that it was getting close to its prey but its master told it to hide when the sun came up. And so it sat solemnly in the shade of some boulders around the mountain. Though most citizens of Skyrim would say that machines can't think, scholars would disagree with them for it had been recorded that Dwemer made machines could actually process any language and was a tool at precisional thinking.

And that was exactly what the tracker did as it sat in the bushes and rubble of the rocky tundra. It thought of its task at hand and thought of its target. Or more of, the different ways that it would kill its target and the best way to draw out the battle to maximum effiency. Its arms twitched in anticipation, its joints and bolts squeaking slightly in the other wise silent air. A dragonfly buzzed around the golden face of the tracker, a quick motion of one of the hammer arms sent it flying away.

Yes, if machines could be thought as living creatures, this Dwemer machine would certainly be one. It found most things a nuisance: insects, water, and the catches in its master's commands. If only it could continue on its path to its target. Its entire body seemed to shiver and shake at the want and need for battle. It had been centuries since its armor and weapons had last tasted blood…

_It was back, hundreds of years ago when the snow elves had been pushed into the subterrenean world with the Dwemer. The Falmer had been seeking refuge from Ysgramor and his army and the only people that could truly protect them were the dwarves. The tracker had been in the middle of construction at that time but it still awed the snow elves as they entered the great Dwemer city._

_Since it had not been fully assembled and there wasn't a soul gem to make it fully operational, the tracker could not remember the words that the Dwemer and Falmer had spoken amongst each other. But it could remember, years later, that the Falmer had been enslaved by the Dwemer and they were being used as servants and as test subjects. The tracker's first soul gem had even reeked of the smell of the Falmer and it tasted even worse._

_But at that time, the Dwemer didn't care about the snow elves; they just saw the Falmer as an unending supply of fodder for their machinations. Until they rebelled. It was about a decade after the Falmer had moved underground with the Dwemer and the tracker could remember the screams and shouts from its cage. It was still fueled by its first soul gem but it still felt strong and powerful from the old gem. _

_"Ready for your first taste of blood?" The tracker's Dwemer master had asked it. The dark bearded elf stood in front of the machine's cage, starting to unlock the puzzling latch that kept it closed. The tracker nodded its large golden head, its arms starting to twitch in anticipation. Its master smirked as he undid the last latch. An explosion sounded down the long hallway, screams of both Falmer and Dwemer echoing through the stone. _

_"Slaughter the vermin who rebel against their masters," The Dwemer man said as he opened the tracker's door. With unnaturual speed, the machine shot out of the cage and down the hall to the where the explosions and screams could be heard. The black soul gem in its chest seemed to pulse quickly with excitement, its arms twitching in sweet anticipation. _

_The screams were getting louder as the tracker neared the end of the hall, a set of closed doors barring its path. With a quick swing of one of its hammer arms, it busted open the golden doors, its metal face looking upon an open rebellion. Falmer slaves dressed in dirty rags attacked clean robed Dwemer, along with the more armored and battle ready Dwemer guards. Screams filled the great open cavern but everyone seemed to stop and stare at the great Dwemer machine as it let out a long bout of steam from its pipes. And with unnatural speed, the machine charged into the mob. _

_Its first victim was a Falmer woman, her scream filling the now silent cavern as one of the tracker's hammers came down on her. There was a disgusting squishing sound as the large mallet crushed the woman. The rest of the Falmer screamed in horror and scrambled to get away as the tracker attacked another Falmer, this time its saw blade cutting him in half at the torso. The crimson blood of the pale servants coated the machine's weapons and armor, making its lust for battle even stronger._

_Another scream of steam was released from its pipes as it quickly skittered to a group of retreating Falmer. It swung out with a hammer, striking one of the rebels and snapping its spine from the blow. With another swing of its hammer, it knocked over the remaining three, quickly trampling them with its spindly spider legs. It seemed to relish the feeling of the warm blood but a sudden "thunk" called it out of its bliss. Turning only its torso, the tracker turned to face a Falmer who had a handful of rocks, a horrified look on his face as the machine charged forward. The white elf threw up his hands to cover his face as the tracker reared back on its hind legs, stabbing its other legs into the elf. With one quick motion, it spread it legs and tore the rebel into pieces, dropping back down onto all eight legs._

_It scanned its surroundings, the open courtyard filled with a few dead bodies and a few Dwemer guards, but no Falmer servants in sight. The machine knew that they were probably running through the tunnels, trying to hide from their attacker. But the machine's master had told it to kill all of the rebels and that was what it had intended to do it. With a short bout of steam, the tracker took off towards the nearest tunnel, scrambling through the tight hallway. Above the noise of its legs pounding against the sculpted stone, it could hear the voices of the rebel servants in a room to its right. _

_The machine stopped at a set of golden doors, noticing that they were cracked open slightly. With a gentle nudge of with one of its legs, the golden gates opened up, revealing a storeroom. Pipes ran through the walls and part of the flooring, casting dark shadows in the room. Dark enough for even the palest of creatures to hide in. With cautious steps, the tracker stepped into the storeroom, its arms twitching with anticipation. As it crept into the center of the room, the doors closed behind it, two rebel Falmer standing in front of it. It quickly swiveled its torso around to face the rebels, noticing both holding dwarven swords. _

_The tracker took a step forward to deal with the servants but a sudden whack against its back made it turn again, its hammer arm hitting a Falmer in the face. The servant flew back against a pipe, his body bending back and snapping in several places. But the tracker didn't have any time to relish in the attack as the two Falmer by the door lounged at it. With quick reflexes, it raised its two back legs, the spidery appendages peircing both Falmer through the chest. A shudder racked the machine's body as their blood coated the legs, the soul gem in its chest glowing brightly. With a simple flick of its legs, it tossed the dead bodies away, scanning the rest of the room with its stoic face._

_Noting that there were no other living Falmer left in that room, it quickly left, skittering down the hall in search for its next victims. The machine quickly traveled down the hall and into a small courtyard, a fountain sitting in the center of it. Three halls split off from the minituare rest area, the metal face looking at each one before choosing the right hall. The hall led the machine down a flight of stairs to a large open area, stone bunks filling the space and each one filled with a sleeping Falmer. The machine stepped forward but stopped. The sleeping Falmer didn't look like the ones who were rebelling and knew that its master would be upset for killing non-rebels. With a steamy sigh, it backed out of the room and back up the stairs, taking the center hall._

_This one led the tracker to a set of golden doors. This time a simple nudge of its leg didn't make the doors open, giving the tracker the thought of them being barricaded closed, which could only mean one thing. With a mighty swing, it broke the doors down, stone chairs falling away with the doors. And standing before the tracker were the rest of the Falmer rebels, each armed with a spear and shield. If it could smirk, the machine surely would as it took a step forward, the servants trembling in fear. With mighty bout of steam, the tracker charged forward and plowed through the spears._

_The machine swung its axe blades, severing limbs and heads from the rebels. Screams filled the air as many of the rebels fell to the floor, the eyes glazing over with death. Crimson blood splattered across the grey stone and the golden machine, staining the clothes of the remaining rebels. The tracker took a few steps back from the remaining Falmer, sensing its Dwemer master approaching. It sat in the center of the room and waited as the dwarf entered the room, looking at its machine then at the remaining servants._

_"What are you waiting for?" The dwarf asked, looking up at the machine's metal face. "Show these vermin that the Dwemer are not to be trifled with." With a solemn nod, the tracker charged forward, the Falmer screaming out in terror…_

A sudden roar from above the tracker's head snapped it out of its reverie. With a silent squeak of its metallic parts, it turned its head to see a dragon flying across the sky. The tracker knew all too well that it could easily dispatch of the beast if it so desired but that wasn't a part of its master's orders. If night had fallen, maybe the machine would have attacked the dragon but not while it still had several more hours of daylight. No, it would sit there and wait until its hunt could continue.


	12. A Brief Intermission

**Author's Note: I do apologize for this chapter being so short. I couldn't fit too much information in this. I more of introduced this chapter to show what other technologies the Thalmor have uncovered. I promise that the next few chapters will be much longer.**

* * *

Chapter Twelve: A Brief Intermission

As the tracker squatted and thought beneath the afternoon sun and as Hulgar and Anjaarra rested by the lazy river, First Emissary Elenwen paced about her bedroom. She cotinually glanced at the odd machine that had been placed in her room after its discovery. It was another Dwemer artifact, but this one had nothing to do with war. It took the embassy's engineers and scientists weeks to figure out what it was used for, until a soldier fresh from Alinor figured it out. A smile crossed the Emissary's lips as the memory passed through her mind. She had been there at the moment of the artifact's true intentions.

_"It's a scrying crystal," A soldier had said as a group of engineers gawked at it. Elenwen was watching them from a chair in her room, everyone's attention turning to the solider._

_"And what makes you think that?" One of the engineers asked the boy. The soldier seemed to be taken back for a moment, but he straightened out his shoulders and stood tall. It looked like one of the golden pedestal's that usually had some sort of button on it but this one didn't. Instead a large purple crystal sat where the button should've been, a three small cystal-like buttons set in front of the main crystal. The soldier stepped forward and looked over the cystal. With a cautious finger, the soldier pressed one of the buttons, watching as the crystal glowed on the pedestal._

_"We've done that before. All it does is glow," An engineer told the soldier. But he ingored the snobbish words as he pressed the other two buttons, watching as the cystal grew brighter and brigther until finally it showed them something other than a bright light. It was…_

_"How is it showing us…?" An engineer whispered quietly with awe. The three engineers including the soldier all stooped over to peer into the cystal, their mouths hanging open in awe as the crystal showed their every movements. First Emissary Elenwen was even amazed as she leaned forward in her seat. A crystal pendant that hung around her neck fell forward, haning loosely in the air. But the image in the scrying crystal changed. The group who stood in front of the cystal seemed to wobble, as if they were hanging in the air. _

_"What's the matter with it?" An engineer asked. The others shrugged, one of them even reaching out and tapping the crystal but to no avail. Elenwen stared at the scrying crystal then down at her pendant. With a curious smile, she held the chain in her fingers, lifting the crystal in the air. The image in the scrying crystal changed, matching the movements of the crystal pendant. With a laugh she stood up._

_"Men,  
I think we figured it out," She said to them coolly, staring at the crystal pendant..._

"First Emissary. First Emissary this is Lead Justiciar Erikour reporting in. Do you hear me?" The soldier's voice came through the scrying crystal, making Elenwen jump out of her reverie. She looked over at the once purple crystal, seeing Erikour's face take up its surface. The First Emissary sat down in the chair that had been positioned in front of the pedestal.

"This is the First Emissary speaking. How is your mission, Lead Justiciar Erikour?" Elenwen asked as she stared Erikour. There was a few seconds of delay before the soldier smiled through the scrying crystal.

"Everything is working out as I planned. In about a day's time our tracker will pick up on the traitor's trail and we'll have him in our grasp by two day's time. Do you want us to bring him back so you can take care of him or did you have something else in mind?" Erikour asked his higher up, staring at her face through the crystal pendant in his hand. The First Emissary sat and thought for a few moments before answering the Justiciar's question.

"I want you to dispatch of him, Erikour. Allow the tracker to maim him but I want you to deliver the final blow, understand?" Elenwen told the soldier. He stared at her sternly before a smirk worked at the corners of his lips.

"Yes, First Emissary, as you command." Erikour nodded his head and was about to kill the connection but then a question crossed his mind. "Would you like his head in a bag or on a platter, First Emissary?" It was Elenwen's turn to smirk.

"Whatever you see fit, Lead Justiciar," She told the soldier before disconnecting the crystal. With a soft smile, the First Emissary stood up from her chair and gazed out the small window. Everything was working out perfectly and soon the world would be rid of one more Talos worshipper and the Aldmeri Dominion would gain a stronger hold on the already weakened Empire.


	13. Cracking the Shells

Chapter Thirteen: Cracking the Shells

The sun began to dip down below the trees in the horizon, shadows playing across the small camp beside the White River. Hulgar shivered slightly in the cold evening air, tossing another log onto the fire. Anjaarra was still asleep but she kept falling in and out of sleep. His dark plum eyes constantly glanced over at her, his eyebrows constantly furrrowed in worry.

_How is it that I came to hate people like this but yet I'm falling for one?_ Hulgar asked himself, sighing quietly as he looked back at the fire. He seemed so confused about the whole ordeal. The Nord closed his eyes and hoped to clear his mind, listening to the soft breeze and the birds chirping their final songs before the moons rose in the sky.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Anjaarra whispered under her blanket. Hulgar's head snapped over to her. _When did she wake up,_ he thought as he watched her slowly look over at him. "The sky is so beautiful here, don't you think?" She asked him, her eyes soft and clear. The Nord stared at her for a moment before smiling and nodding.

"Yes, it is," He said quietly before staring up at the sky. The sun had dipped below the trees, showing the brightening outlines of the moons. He heard Anjaarra breathe in a deep breath of appreciation as she stared up at Secunda and Masser.

"Anjaarra?" The Nord said quietly, looking over at her again. Her bright orange eyes shifted to look over at the man.

"Yes, Hulgar?" She said, slowly sitting up and holding the blanket tight around her. Hulgar watched her for a moment before clearing his throat.

"Um, I was wondering, why do the Khajiit praise the moons so much?" The Nord asked. Anjaarra tilted her head to the side, thinking over his question. Her tail flicked slowly behind her as her eyes were glazed over with thought.

"Well, it helps determine what form the Khajiit will take when their born." Anjaarra told him, her glowing eyes glancing back up at the moons again. Hulgar did the same before looking at her with a questioning look.

"Forms? What do you mean?" He questioned, his thick eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Anjaarra smiled at his puzzled face before explaining.

"Yes, forms, or well, more like different breeds. There are seventeen different ones," Anjaarra explained. "There's the Pahmar, the Pahmar-raht, the Senche, and the Senche-raht. These four breeds are born while Masser is in its full moon phase but Secunda is in its different moon phases. Does that make sense?" Anjaarra asked after she was done explaining. Hulgar nodded slowly, starting to understand.

"Yeah, I think I get it. But what about the other breeds?" He questioned. Anjaarra smiled and waved her hand in the air to motion for him to calm down.

"I was getting to that, don't worry. Now these next four breeds are born under Masser's waxing phase. There are the Cathay, the Cathay-raht, the Tojay, and the Tojay-raht." Anjaarra ticked each breed off of her fingers as counted, her ears perked in odd fashion as she tried to think of all of them. "And there's the Ohmes, the Ohmes-raht, the Suthay, and the Suthay-raht. Their born under Masser's new phase. The Alfiq, the Alfiq-raht, the Dagi, and the Dagi-raht are born under Masser's waning phase." Anjaarra took a deep breath and dropped her fingers when she was finished explaining. Hulgar's head was spinning with all of the new information, his face contorted with puzzlement.

"Wait…" He finally said, the confusion leaving his eyes and looking over at the cat-woman. She looked up at him. "That was just sixteen. I thought you said there was seventeen?" He asked her. Anjaarra's eyes lit up with realization.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot! There's also one breed that is so rare, only one is born at a time and only when the three moons are aligned." The cat-woman explained. Hulgar stared at her before looking up at the sky, seeing only two moons.

"But I only see two." He told her. The cat-woman nodded her, watching the Nord with her bright eyes.

"They say that only when Masser and Secunda are aligned that the third moon appears from the darkness. When that happens, the Mane is born and he brings peace to Elsweyr. Or so the legends say." Anjaarra said quietly, her tail flicking lazily behind her and her orange eyes looking over at the fire. Hulgar stared at the fire then at her.

"Which breed are you, Anjaarra?" He asked her, seeing her ears flick up at the curious question. Her eyes looked up at him before a grin crossed her feline lips.

"I'm a Cathay. We're the more common breed here in Skyrim and Cyrodiil, though that's not to say you won't see one of the other breeds outside of their homelands. Like S'Baadar was a Cathay-raht." She said quietly, only realizing afterwards that she had mentioned her late husband's name. Hulgar's eyes light up at the name.

"S'Baadar? Who was that?" The Nord asked the cat-woman. She diverted her eyes away from the Nord, speaking in a quiet tone.

"My husband…" Hulgar barely heard the whisper but he knew that he was probably dead if she never spoke about him before. A sigh slipped through his lips as the Nord turned his plum eyes to the low-lying fire. The two sat in silence for several moments before Anjaarra stood up, the blanket still wrapped around her tight.

"Where you going?" Hulgar asked her as she started to walk away. She stopped and looked back at him over her shoulder.

"To relieve myself." She said simply before turning away from him and walking away into the bushes. Hulgar stared at where she had disappeared for a moment before staring at the fire. It was starting to dwindle down pretty low and he knew that he would have to get some more firewood soon.

_I'll wait for the cat to come back, _Hulgar thought to himself as he leaned back against the rock. His mind shifted to the name that Anjaarra said. S'Baadar. It was obvious that he was a Khajiit, Anjaarra had even said so. But Hulgar knew that he had heard that name before, it sounded so familiar. _Maybe she'll open up a bit if I soften her up,_ the Nord thought, a grin playing across his lips as the bushes rustled. Hulgar grabbed for his war axes but saw that it was only Anjaarra coming back.

"Feel better?" The Nord asked. The cat-woman only rolled her eyes, dropping the blanket that was wrapped around her and grabbing for her leather cuirass. She slipped it back on, her fingers playing over the bite marks before sitting down across the fire from Hulgar.

"Anjaarra?" He said, looking at the Khajiit over the licking flames of the fire. She didn't look at him but her ears perked up as if to tell him to continue. "How did you meet your husband?" This time the cat-woman looked up, a mix of emotions clouding her usually bright eyes.

"Why?" There was a bitter tone to her voice but Hulgar didn't take it personally. He knew that he would speak that way too if someone asked about his sister. The Nord shrugged at her question.

"I'm just curious is all." Hulgar said quietly. Anjaarra didn't say anything, she only looked back down at the fire. It seemed to frantically lick at the air and grass around it as it tried not to die out, its flames loosing heat as it started to into burning coals. Not seeing that she was going to make a move to speak any time soon, Hulgar stood up and grabbed his war axe. He hated using his war axe as a wood axe but the latter was too heavy to carry around all the time.

The Nord walked away from the dying campfire, walking down the road a few feet to a fallen tree. He had already cut off most of its branches earlier but there was still some decent wood that could be used for the fire. He chopped away at the remaining branches with his axe before returning with a large armload of wood. Anjaarra was still sitting quietly in front of the now pile of burning coals, only a single flame existing. Setting down the wood, Hulgar placed a few branches around the flame, watching the flame catch and slowly start up again.

"Falkreath," Anjaarra said quietly as Hulgar sat back from the fire. He looked up at her with a confused look, his mouth opening to ask her what she was talking about but she spoke again. "I met my husband in Falkreath when I first came here." She explained. Hulgar stared at her, nodding slowly.

"He didn't come here with you, then?" The Nord asked. Anjaarra didn't move for a moment but she eventually shook her head.

"No, he had made his way here after the Great War ended. I came about ten years after him." The cat-woman's bright orange eyes glanced up to look at Hulgar before she continued. "He had ran into me in the market when he tried to get away from a group of Nords." A faint smile crossed her lips as she continued her tale. "He had cheated in a game of cards and won all of their money and they were going to beat it out of him. But he ran into me and brought me into the mess. But if he hadn't run into me that day, I wouldn't have…" Her voice trailed off, tears starting to cloud her eyes. Hulgar watched her sadly as she turned her head away and wiped away the tears.

"I know what it's like to lose someone you love," Hulgar said quietly after sitting in silence for a minutes. Anjaarra looked up at him, pinpricks of tears still clear in her eyes. The Nord stared back at her for a moment. "My sister was taken from me a few years back from the Thalmor." Anger and hate crossed his face before it softened with recollection. "She would never talk during the day, but I remember always hearing her talk and sing while the moons were still in the sky." It was Hulgar's turn for a small smile to cross his lips as an image of his sister singing and dancing crossed his mind.

"She always thought that there were bad people watching her during the day and that she was only safe at night. So I would wake up real early just so that I could watch her dance or listen to her sing." Anjaarra watched as Hulgar talked, a small smile crossing her lips as she listened to him. "She also had this little stuffed cat that she would sing to and she would dress it up and take care of it." The Nord explained, his face filled with bitter sweet bliss, a tear welling up in his eyes. He let out a mighty sigh before clearing his throat, his cheeks flushing slightly.

"S-sorry… I must sound like a rambling fool," The Nord apologized, glancing up at Anjaarra. She smiled and shook her head.

"No, you don't. I think its real nice of you to tell me about her," The cat-woman said, her orange eyes locking with the Nord's plum ones. They both stared into each other's eyes for a moment before Anjaarra flicked her ears in an embarrassed fashion and looked away. Hulgar's cheeks flushed again and he looked away, clearing his throat again.

"Well, um…" Hulgar struggled to think of something to say but nothing seemed to click. Anjaarra stared at him before glancing over at a map that was sticking out of the Nord's knapsack.

"Did you have a plan yet?" She asked, gesturing towards the roll of paper. Hulgar looked at her then at the map.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me." Hulgar grabbed the map but didn't unfurl it. "Do you know what blood-kin means?" Anjaarra cocked her head to the side in a questioning manner.

"Blood-kin? Like what Orcs say to outsiders?" Anjaarra asked. Hulgar shrugged at the Khajiit.

"I guess, I don't know." The Nord unfurled the map and showed the cat-woman the annotation at Dushnikh Yal. "See, Gro-Gluk had written down something about becoming blood-kin. But I have no idea what that is." He explained, looking over at Anjaarra. She shrugged this time.

"I have no clue. Maybe they can tell us what it is if we go there." She suggested to him. Hulgar looked at the map, nodding slowly to himself. That wasn't too bad of a plan. The Nord grinned and looked at Anjaarra.

"It sounds like a plan."


	14. An Unforeseeable Death

Chapter Fourteen: An Unforeseeable Death

Erikour and his men had decided to take a break in Rorikstead for the night. He knew that the tracker would probably catch up to the Talos-worshipper any time now and he saw no rush to clean up the mess. He pulled his golden mare to a halt in front of the Frostfruit Inn, dismounting as the other soldiers did the same. The Lead Justiciar scanned the small town, only seeing a few guards patrolling the roads. It didn't seem too odd since it was a few hours after the sun had set.

"Are we resting here for the night, Lead Justiciar?" Aldaril asked Erikour, who nodded in return.

"Yes, Justiciar Aldaril. Everyone get a drink on me and then get some rest. We're leaving when the sun rises." Erikour said, his golden brown eyes watching the other soldiers nod and grin. They headed inside, Erikour being the last to enter the tavern. It seemed as if the entire world had gone quiet as the Thalmor soldiers walked inside, all eyes glancing at the golden elves. Noticing all of the stares, Erikour stepped forward, spreading his arms out and putting on a warm smile.

"What? Have you never seen a group of Thalmor before?" The Justiciar asked, dropping his arms and looking at the occupants in the large room. "Now, I'm sure that all of you good people don't have anything to hide from us, so please, relax and go back to any dull conversations that you were having." He went on to say, his warm smile turning into a smirk. A few of the hidden stares turned into open snarls at the Thalmor's last words, a man in iron armor standing up from his seat.

"Just because you think you're better than us doesn't you mean you can treat us like it." The Nord man said, his fiery orange hair matching the hatred in his eyes. Erikour stared at him, taking a few steps towards the man.

"What is your name, sell sword?" The Justiciar asked, his voice showing only a hint of venom. The armored man glanced at the bar keeper nervously before speaking with a shaking voice.

"E-Erik…" Erikour smirked at him, looking over at the bar keeper. The man behind the counter seemed to glare at the golden elf, making the smirk broaden even wider.

"And this must be your son," The Justiciar looked back at the armored hireling, a similar look like the bar keeper's on his face. "You must be so proud of him. I mean, truly you must be." The golden elf started to circle the Nord, glancing at the man behind the counter. "Any father who would go out and buy armor for his son is a true Nord. But what good does the armor do him if no one wants to hire such an inexperienced lad. Its like you built up his hopes and dreams but as each day passes, the young little Erik thinks of how no one wants to fight along his side." Erikour smirked widely, his fellow Thalmor returning the look as the other occupants in the inn glared at the Justiciars. The armored Nord glared hard at the Lead Justiciar, his eyes trying to bury into the golden flesh but the fear that swirled around in those brown eyes only made the Thalmor laugh.

"Do you really think such a childish look will make me tremble with fear?" Erikour laughed before quickly pulling out his elven sword, pointing the tip against the Nord's throat. His eyes filled with fear as the Justiciar leaned in close and whispered into the man's ear.

"I'd be more careful around your leaders, Nord. You can raise a lot of suspicions that may lead you into some trouble. So if I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut next time." Erikour leaned back and pulled his sword away from the man's throat and sheathed the weapon. The Nord seemed to sag with relief, quickly backing away and holding his throat. The Justiciar turned towards the bar keeper, walking over to the counter.

"Now, let's get a round of drinks for everyone here." Erikour said as he plopped down at the counter. The bar keeper glared at the man before hobbling away to get bottles of mead for everyone. Aldaril sat next to the Lead Justiciar as the remaining Thalmor sat at different tables, conversing quietly among each other.

"That was quite a show, Lead Justiciar." Aldaril said, watching the bar keep slam a bottle in front of him and Erikour. The Lead Justiciar smirked, grabbing the bottle and taking a quick gulp from it.

"I'm just doing my job,"He said, taking another drink. Aldaril grinned and did the same, grimacing as the mead flowed over his tongue. Erikour chuckled at his face.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to the taste, even though it all tastes like cattle urine." The Justiciar said, making sure his words were loud enough for all of the Nords to hear. A smirk crossed his lips as he heard heated whispers and sneers from his seat. He took another drink before he heard the unsheathing of a sword, turning his head to look over his shoulder. The Justiciar saw that it was Erik, and he was holding a sword out towards the Thalmor.

"Come on then. Do your job and put me back in line, you lousy tyrant!" Erik taunted before lunging forward. The Justiciar quickly jumped from his seat and stepped out of the way, watching as the sword rammed into the counter. The Nord tried to pull the sword out but it wouldn't budge, a loud laugh bellowing out from the Thalmor crowd.

"Nice try, Erik, but you'll have to try better than that." Erikour said as he took another drink from his mead before setting the bottle onto the counter. He pulled out his own sword as the Nord pulled his sword from the wood. The Justiciar held his up and at the ready.

"Now, let's see if you really can best me." The Justiciar said, watching the Nord as he held up his sword. The both of them circled each other for a few minutes before the Nord quickly closed the gap between them, shouting out as he swung his sword downward. The Justiciar easily deflected the attack, grinning as the Nord staggered back a few steps. After regaining his balance he quickly lunged forward again, this time bringing his sword in from the side. The Thalmor quickly deflected the swing and smacked the Nord's wrist with the butt of the sword. Erik winced and shouted out in pain, dropping the iron sword. With a quick and easy motion, Erikour scooped up the sword, pointing both blades at the Nord's chest.

"It seems like we've found a victor." The golden elf hissed through his devillish smile. Erik raised his hands in defense, taking a few steps back. Erikour followed him till he pinned the Nord against a pillar, the rest of the people in the room watching the scene with horror and hatred. "And now, to rid the world of one more enemy to the Aldmeri Dominion." Erikour raised both swords high above his head, ready to bring them down when a sudden flash of pain rocketed through his arm. He shouted out in pain, instinctively dropping the blades and grabbing at the arrow that stood out of his shoulder. He grasped the wooden shaft as he looked over to see the bar keeper holding a bow. Without even saying a word, the rest of the Nords in the inn pulled out their weapons, though most were just simple iron daggers. Erik was even quick enough to grab his iron sword and back away from the Lead Justiciar.

"Lead Justiciar, what would you like us to do?" Erikour heard Aldaril ask from behind him. The Justiciar looked at his Thalmor soldiers, seeing the hatred in each of their eyes. With a nod of his hand, he yanked the arrow clean out of his shoulder.

"Kill them all," He simply said, tossing the arrow onto the floor. The other Thalmor quickly withdrew their swords, charging at the Nords. Erikour stood back and watched the short lived battle, each Thalmor taking down a Nord with a few quick strikes, leaving only Erik and the bar keeper left. The Thalmor circled them, their swords pointed at the last remaining Nords. This time Erikour stepped forward, his sword at his side. Fear and hatred filled both Nord's eyes as Erikour shook his head.

"Such a shame for what happened tonight. I really didn't want anything to come to this but your son forced my hand. Tell me, does that make you proud that your son caused all this bloodshed?" Erikour said, pacing in front of the Nords, his gold-brown eyes watching the pair. Neither seemed to waver at his words so he continued. "Well, I'm giving you a chance, bar keeper. You can either give us your son and we'll let you live or we'll kill you both where you stand and wipe your pathetic village off the map. Its your choice, bar keeper." Erikour said, stopping to stand in front of him and staring into his eyes. The bar keeper stared back at him, seeming to be in deep thought.

"I… I…" The bar keeper looked over at his son, feeling Erikour's gaze look over to his son. With a quick motion, the bar keeper thrusted his sword quickly forward and through Erikour's stomach, pulling it quickly out and slashing out at the nearest Thalmor. They all had been taken by surprise, even Erik himself but he quickly slashed out as well, slashing a Thalmor across the chest.

Erikour's world slowed down to an almost standstill as he fell to his knees, his hands clutching at his stomach and trying to keep in his precious golden fluids. But it seemed to slip through his fingers and onto the stone floor below him, his vision growing black. He fell to the ground with a wet thud, Erik and his father still fighting the remaining Thalmor soldiers.

Aldaril's eyes blazed with fury as he watched the life slip from his friend, a scream ripping through his throat as he lunged forward and swung his sword at the bar keeper. The man stumbled back with surprise by the sudden attack, turning to deflect the blow but slipped on the spilled blood on the floor. The Nord fell onto his back, holding his sword up to keep the Thalmor at bay but it was useless. Aldaril madly swung down at the man, his sword breaking the bar keeper's iron made one. But he showed the fallen man no mercy, stabbing the Nord several times in the chest. After one final swing, Aldaril took a step back and puts his hands on his knees, panting softly as he fought for control over his anger.

Erik had fallen to the other Thalmor moments ago, the rest of the soldiers standing back and waiting for Aldaril to regain control. After another shuddering breath, the soldier stood up straight and yanked his sword out of the dead Nord's body, wiping his blade clean before sheathing it. He looked over at the other Justiciars, looking at their faces.

"Since Erikour has been murdered, I will contact the First Emissary and ask her for what she wishes of us." Aldaril said, watching the other Thalmor nod at his statement. With a heavy sigh, he turned towards the corpse of his friend and walked over to it.

"Just doing my job," He whispered as he pulled the crystal pendant away from Erikour's neck. With a sigh, he wiped the crystal clean and cast a spell on it, holding it out in front of him as it glowed a bright blue color.

"First Emissary. First Emissary this Justiciar Aldaril reporting in. Do you hear me?" Aldaril asked, his voice clear and clean even though his body still shook from the after math of the battle. He waited a minute before repeating the message, hearing the First Emissary's voice halfway through. The blue light changed to show Elenwen's still groggy face.

"What is it, Justiciar Aldaril? Where is Lead Justiciar Erikour?" She asked sternly, her mouth opening to ask another question but the Justiciar quickly interjected.

"He's dead, First Emissary. I was reporting in to ask you what we should do now." He told her, his hands shaking slightly. Elenwen's eyes grew large at the news of Erikour's death but she stayed quiet. She seemed to stare off into space before speaking again.

"Was it the Talos-worshipper?" She asked, her face hardening as she focused on the scrying crystal. Aldaril shook his head.

"No, First Emissary. He was killed here in Rorikstead during a battle with the local Nords. They all have been executed but we have yet to look through the other buildings." Aldaril explained. Elenwen was quiet as the Justiciar spoke before slowly nodding her head.

"Make sure you kill all residents there and then burn down the buildings. I'll deal with the Jarl. And as for the current mission, continuing searching for the Talos-worshipper. You're in command, Lead Justiciar Aldaril." Elenwen said quickly before her image faded, the crystal pendant growing dark. Aldaril continued to stare at it before slowly lowering it, staring at the wall.

"Well, what are we to do now?" One of the other Thalmor said. Aldaril turned to him, still clutching the pendant in his hand.

"Go through the rest of the buildings and burn them. We leave here after the ashes are sorted through."


	15. Death Match

Chapter Fifteen: Death Match

Anjaarra sat by the fire, its orange light flickering over her fur and the sleeping form of Hulgar. He had decided to get some sleep before they set off in the morning to go to Dushnikh Yal. But since she had been sleeping almost the entire day, the Khajiit decided to stay up and keep watch. She didn't mind it too much, she enjoyed looking up at the stars and watching the moons slowly move through the sky. The dark night was quiet except for the infrequent howling wolf and the hooting of owls in the distant trees. The cat-woman closed her eyes and sighed contently, the peaceful air making her feel relaxed.

"Anjaarra? You awake?" Hulgar asked from his bedroll. The Khajiit looked over at his prone body, thinking that he had been asleep.

"Yeah, I'm awake." She said quietly, watching the Nord sit up and stretch. He yawned quietly before looking at the cat-woman.

"I was just making sure." He said before standing up. He had taken off his armor and the only thing that he was wearing was some plain burlap pants. The Nord noticed her orange eyes slowly trace over his exposed abdomen and chest, crossing his hairy arms around his wide chest. "Is there something in particular you were gawking at?" The man asked with a sly smile. Anjaarra quickly looked away, her eyes lowered in embarrassment.

"N-no… S-sorry." She cleared her throat before looking back at the Nord, looking up at his face this time. "Hulgar, were you ever married?" The Khajiit asked quietly, tilting her head to the side when the man shook his head no, sitting on the rock he had been leaning against earlier that night.

"No, I never have been. Don't get me wrong, I've been interested in a woman or two, but I never found the time, or land, to settle down and make a family." The Nord explained, putting his hands on his knees.

"Oh. Let me guess, these were all Nord women, huh?" Anjaarra asked with a teasing smirk. Hulgar chuckled, plumes of misty air leaving his mouth.

"Yes, they were all Nords. But, I've had my eye on a less traditional woman, as of late." The Nord grinned, an embarrassed smile passing over the Khajiit's lips as she looked away again, her tail flicking around in bashful excitement. She looked back at the Nord and opened her mouth to say something but a sudden scream filled the air, making the travelers jump to their feet. Hulgar quickly grabbed for his war axes as Anjaarra pulled out her ebony dagger, their eyes scanning the darkness surrounding them.

A storm cloud rolled in from the south, covering the moons. All help that the stars and moons gave was obscured, leaving on the low lying fire. Hulgar cursed under his breath at the darkness, beads of sweat starting to grow on his forehead.

"What was that?" Anjaarra hissed out, her eyes frantically darting around the landscape before her. Hulgar shook his head, keeping his war axes raised and at the ready.

"I have no idea. I've never heard anything like that before. But I can tell you, it wasn't any living creature." The Nord muttered quietly. Anjaarra looked over at the Nord, her eyes wide with fright.

"How do you know?" She asked, her tail curling in anxiety. Before Hulgar could speak another scream filled the air. Along with the faint sound of metallic squealing. Anjaarra quickly turned to the river and saw a metal monstrosity charging in their direction.

"Move!" The Nord shouted, dropping his weapons and quickly pushing Anjaarra out of the way. She stumbled forward and fell onto the ground, hearing the machine roar past behind her and ram into Hulgar. The Khajiit quickly jumped to her feet and saw the eight legged machine smack the Nord with a hammer arm.

"Hey!" She shouted at the machine, trembling with fright when its upper body quickly spun around to look at her. "Leave him alone!" She shouted at it, trying to steady her hand as she held her dagger out in front of her. The metal face of the machine stared at her for a long moment, its face resembling that of a Thalmor. She shuddered at the resemblance before the machine let out a bout of steam and charged at the Khajiit.

With amazing speed, Anjaarra quickly ducked and rolled beneath the machine, feeling it thunder past her. She quickly stood up and saw the machine stop quickly in its tracks and spin back around to face her. The Khajiit heard a moan from her right and glanced over, seeing Hulgar slumped back against the tree that his horse had been tied to but it had taken off when the machine first screamed. There was another scream from in front of the cat-woman before the metal monster charged again, this time its saw blades held out in front of it.

Anjaarra stared at it wide eyed before quickly turning and facing the rock that Hulgar had sat on earlier. With the grace of an acrobat, Anjaarra ran and jumped onto the rock and leapt backwards, doing a back flip in the air as she landed behind the machine. A smirk crossed her lips as it crashed into the rock she jumped from, its front left leg twisted and bent. But it didn't slow it down as it quickly spun around again and faced her. Anjaarra let out an impatient sigh and snarled at the metal beast, her dagger raised at the ready.

Hulgar heard a scream from the machine, his eyes fluttering open in time to see it charge at Anjaarra. He wanted to shout out but nothing came out. Only a sharp pain filled his chest as he struggled to catch his breath. He knew that the machine had been sent by the Thalmor and it was after him, not her. But she still fought it and distracted it to protect him. Even now, as the machine charged at her, the cat-woman ducked and dodged it, cleanly cutting off one of its metallic legs. He grinned slightly as he watched her leap out of the way of its hammer arms, her ebony dagger slashing out at a latch that held its armor together.

Noticing the armor creak open slightly, Anjaarra quickly slashed at another latch, grinning as the machine desperately tried to whack at her. A hammer arm came crashing down next to her but she put her foot against it and leapt off of it, bouncing off one of its other arms before latching onto the machine's golden head. Its weaponed arms tried to hit the Khajiit but in fear that it would destroy itself, it didn't dare to hit her. Anjaarra took this to her advantage as she dug her blade into different crevasses, destroying latches and hinges. She dug her blade under a loose piece of metal and pulled, yelping as the metal plate fell away and revealed a black soul gem. Anjaarra stared at in awe and horror, raising her blade to hit it. Hulgar saw her and raised his hand, trying to shout but it was too late. Her ebony blade rammed into the gem, a sudden flash of light exploding in the chest cavity of the tracker. Anjaarra screamed as she was flung away from the machine and into the surrounding darkness. The machine shrieked out bouts of steam as the soul gem burned brighter and brighter before it exploded inside the machine, its metallic legs giving out and crumbling to the ground with a shudder.

Hulgar stared at the now "dead" machine, slowly getting to his feet. He placed a hand against the tree, trying to keep himself steady before pushing away from it and stepping towards the silent pile of metal. Steam slowly hissed out of it and ashes fell away from the chest cavity, shards of the soul gem littering the ground below it. Noting that it was safe to lean on it, Hulgar placed a hand against the metal monster, looking around blindly for his companion.

"Anjaarra? Anjaarra, where are you?" He called out, his chest aching and his head feeling light and airy. He took a deep breath, scrunching his eyes shut before opening them again and looking around again. "Anjaara, where are you?!" He called out, but there was no answer to his calls. She had disappeared.


	16. An Almost Drowned Kitten

Chapter Sixteen: An Almost Drowned Kitten

Anjaarra could faintly hear the lapping of water and the crackle of a fire, trying in vain to open her exhuasted eyes. She panicked and tried to sit up but a reassuring hand was placed on her shoulder and gently laid her back down. A woman's soft voice quietly spoke to her but the Khajiit couldn't understand a word of it. She opened her mouth and tried to speak but only a muffled squeak escaped her mouth. The cat-woman whimpered pathetically before trying again.

"H-Hulgar…?" She stammered weakly, finally finding the strength to open her eyes. Her vision was blurry but she could barely make out the outline of a Nord woman looming over her. She could see a black hole open up in the woman's face and she guessed it was her mouth. Again, Anjaarra could hear words but they seemed too far to hear and were garbled to her ears. With extreme effort, the cat-woman slowly shook her head, closing her eyes again.

Even though it felt like her eyes were closed for a second, hours had passed by. When the Khajiit opened her eyes again, the Nord woman wasn't there but the blurriness had almost entirely disappeared. Slowly sitting up, Anjaarra winced and grimaced as her entire body seemed to pop and crack when she sat up. She could feel bruises and scars all over her body but her fur covered them, along with a plain night gown. _Probably the Nord's, _Anjaarra thought as she slowly turned to dangle her legs off the side of the bed.

Glancing around the room, the cat-woman found herself inside an open room cabin. It seemed to be of the common sort, with the dining room, kitchenette and bedroom all crammed into one space. But it still had a homey feel to it that Anjaarra liked. A fire was crackling in the fire place and a stew pot was hanging over the glowing flame. _Someone must be around then,_ the Khajiit thought quietly as she slowly slid out of the bed and shakily stood up, placing her hand against the bed stand.

With a few shaky steps, the Khajiit walked around the room and glanced at her surroundings. There were a few things of clothes placed around the place and a few books but nothing else to suggest how many people lived there. She cautiously peeked into a closet and saw clothing for just women. _Maybe she's a hermit…_

"You know, they used to say curiousity killed the cat," A woman's voice said behind the cat-woman. Anjaarra jumped and quickly looked back at the Nord woman she had seen hours ago. Anjaarra quickly raised her hands up and tried to stammer out an answer.

"I… I… You… It…" She stammered, her tongue seemed to be tied as she stared at the woman. The Nord watched her before laughing at her, softly patting her arm.

"It's alright, Khajiit. I'm only joking with you." The Nord woman smiled warmly, her Nordic accent thickly covered her words as they rolled out of her mouth. Anjaarra relaxed, smiling softly and sighing with relief. The Nord woman motioned for the cat-woman to sit down, walking over to the cooking pot. Anjaarra quietly sat down, watching the woman.

"So, um, thank you, um…" Anjaarra paused for the woman to say her name before she continued. "Um, Hert, for taking me in. But, how exactly did I get here?" The Khajiit asked cautiously, afraid to hear what happened to Hulgar. Hert looked over to Anjaarra as she tapped the spoon against the side of the pot before stirring it some more.

"You mean, you don't remember anything?" Anjaarra stared at her before slowly shaking her head. "Well, where to start then? Um, well, I was out gathering up my nets for the night and I was laying them out to dry like I always do every night. It was a little after dark when I heard some sort of screeching in the distance. I could hear the sounds of battle and I wasn't sure if I wanted to get mixed up in it. But my curiousity got the best of me so I took my row boat out and I started to go towards the river when I saw a flash of a light a bit up the river. I had seen something fly off into the water. I wasn't sure what it was so I quickly rowed over to it and saw that it was you." The woman explained, grabbing a wooden bowl and pouring the soup into it.

Hert took the bowl over to the table and placed it down in front of Anjaarra along with a spoon. The Khajiit thanked her quietly, staring down at the salmon soup. Hert sat across from her, watching the cat-woman slowly and quietly eating her meal.

"But while I was looking over your wounds, you woke up for a few seconds. You still looked dazed but you said a name. I think it was Huggard or Holgur or something like that." Hert said to Anjaarra. The cat-woman looked up at the Nord with her bright orange eyes.

"Hulgar… I was traveling with him when we were attacked…" Anjaarra said quietly, trying to remember the last moments of the battle. It must have been when she hit the machine's soul gem that Hert had seen. And that must have been what knocked out the Khajiit. Her eyes focused again as she looked at Hert's face.

"Did you see him? Is he still alive?" Anjaarra's ears drooped in sorrow as the Nord woman shook her head sadly.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't look for anyone else. After I dragged you out of the river, I quickly came back home to help clean you up. I didn't think there was anyone else around." Hert explained. Anjaarra nodded slowly, staring down at her soup. Hert sighed sadly and reached across the table and patted the cat-woman's furry hand.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he's just fine." Hert said softly, hoping to cheer her up. Anjaarra smiled weakly, glancing up at the Nord woman. "I'm sure he's on his way right now to find you." Anjaarra smiled more as she looked up at Hert.

"Yeah… I'm sure he is… But, where am I, if you don't mind me asking?" Anjaarra asked quietly. Hert looked at her before smiling.

"Oh, I did forget to mention that, huh? I'm the owner of the Half-Moon Mill." Hert told the cat-woman. She laughed softly at the cat-woman who gave her look that read "And where is that?". "We're just off the road that leads west to Markarth. So I'm sure that your Hulgar won't miss us when he walks this way." Hert said with a smile, seeing Anjaarra flick her ears in an embarrassed fashion, looking away with a soft smile.

"Thank you, Hert… For everything." Anjaarra said as she looked back up at the Nord woman. She nodded and smiled, pushing her dirty blond hair behind her ear.

"Your welcome," The woman smiled. "But I think you forgot to tell me what your name is." Hert said, watching the Khajiit smile.

"Its Anjaarra." She told the Nord. The pale woman nodded and stood up.

"Well, Anjaarra, if you'd like you can change into one of my spare dresses until your man comes along and rescues you." Hert smiled at Anjaarra's embarrassed smile and demeanor as the Nord woman walked to her dresser.

"H-he's not my man," Anjaarra stammered out uneasily, eating a couple more spoonfuls of her soup. Hert glanced back at the Khajiit over her shoulder before pulling out a worn looking red dress with brown patches sewn into it.

"Really? Because I could've sworn that you two were married." Hert carried the dress over to the table and draped it over the back of one of the chairs, looking up as the cat-woman shook her head.

"No… I used to be married before but my husband died over a year ago… And Hulgar doesn't like me in that way. Or in any way for that matter." Anjaarra said quietly, staring down at the murky red contents of her soup. Hert looked at her sadly before standing beside the Khajiit and gently rubbing over her back with a hand.

"I'm sorry to hear about your husband, Anjaarra… But you can't assume that there is no one else out there for you."Hert said to Anjaarra. The Khajiit looked up at the Nord woman, staring into her eyes as she continued. "The Divines always have a way of making their followers' lives content. Sure, times can be tough and even though it may seem like no one is on your side, maybe your not praying to the right aedra." The Nord spoke quietly, her hand still rubbing over the cat-woman's shoulders.

Anjaarra stared into the Nord's eyes for a few seconds. Maybe she was right. Maybe Mara wasn't helping her in a way that she wanted help. She averted her orange eyes and looked back down at her wooden bowl of soup. Or maybe, she was practicing her belief in Mara in the wrong way. She had heard that the Nordic tradition for marriage was that an aviable person would wear an Amulet of Mara.

_But is that something I really want,_ Anjaarra thought. _Do I really want to devote myself to an entirely different man than my S'Baadar. And a man that I don't even know if he likes me… I mean, I risked my life for him and I doubt he's even out there looking for me. He's probably lost too much time because of me that he probably left and is already in the Reach Hold by now…_

Hert stared down at the Khajiit. She could tell that the cat-woman was mulling over some pretty tough decisions and knew that the best way to deal with it was to wait for her to finish. But seeing that the end may not come very soon, the Nord woman decided to sit down next to her thinking companion. The quiet sound of the chair legs rubbing against the wooden planks of the floor snapped Anjaarra out of her thinking.

"Do you miss your husband?" Hert asked quietly, staring at the solemn face of the woman. Anjaarra nodded slowly, her ears flattening back slightly. "Do you think he'd want you to stay alone for the rest of your life?" The Khajiit looked up at the question, her ears flattened back completely against her head. She knew her rage was probably showing in her eyes but she tried to keep control of emotions.

"I… I don't know. I never thought about it like that…" Anjaarra said quietly as she broke the eye contact with the Nord. Hert sighed quietly, staring down at the table. "I always felt like I would be betraying him if I tried to marry another man, let alone if it was another creation of the Divines…" Anjaarra said quietly, staring down at her soup as her eyes glazed over in tears and memories.

"I wore an Amulet of Mara once when I walked into Whiterun to buy some supplies. It had been about five months after S'Baadar, my husband, had died. I was feeling lonely and a pilgrim of Mara had given it to me a few weeks back. So, I decided to wear it just to see what kind of reaction I would get. For an entire I day, I roamed around Whiterun, making sure all of the aviable men saw the amulet. I even waited around in the Bannered Mare for a few hours to see if anyone would come by to talk to me… But no one came…" Anjaarra said quietly, clearing her throat as tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. Hert was even blinking several times to keep her emotions at bay. The Khajiit waited a few moments before continuing.

"On that day, I took it as a sign that I wasn't supposed to wed again. I thought that my husband had made a deal with the Divines so that I would never fall in love again… And I've thought that for the past few months now." The Khajiit explained, her tail swaying sadly off her seat. "Of course… Until I met Hulgar." This time, a slight smile tweaked the corners of lips up as she thought of the Nordic man.

"I don't know… There's just something about him that makes me feel different. He just seems different than most of the Nords that lived in Whiterun. Well, he didn't like me at first but… But I can tell that his feelings have changed." Anjaarra told Hert, looking up at the Nord woman. She stared back at the orange eyes before a soft smile played across her lips.

"Do you still feel like the Divines are against you?" Hert asked quietly. Anjaarra's ears flicked back in slight embarrassment before she slowly shook her head no.

"No, I don't. But I don't know how to tell him any of this. He'd probably just laugh at me." Anjaarra sighed and looked down at the wooden table. Hert stared at the furry woman before sliding out of her wooden seat and walking over to her nightstand.

"I think I know how you can get his attention." Hert said. She opened open the drawer in the stand and rummaged through. Anjaarra watched her with her bright, curious eyes. A triumphant smile crossed the Nord's lips as she pulled something out of the drawer.

"Here we are." She said as she walked back over to Anjaarra. The Nord held out her hand and revealed an amulet of Mara. The Khajiit began to shake her head but Hert spoke before she could reject the medallion. "Take it, please. I have no use for it and my husband keeps worrying that I'll use it next time I go to the market." The Nord woman laughed softly at her joke as Anjaarra stared at her.

"Are you sure? I've already taken so much from you and I have no way to repay you." The Nord shook her head and placed the amulet in the furry woman's hand.

"I'm sure. And if you're willing to help me work until Hulgar comes to get you, I don't mind at all." Hert said to Anjaarra, smiling softly as the Khajiit slipped the medallion over her head. The circular medallion was covered with interlocked ovals and a few light blue stones covered the pendant and it seemed to lay comfortably against her chest. With a soft smile, she looked up at Hert.

"Thank you again, Hert. I will try and repay you as best as I can." The Khajiit told her. Hert only smiled and nodded as Anjaarra lgihtly fingered the amulet. She watched the furry woman for a moment before taking a step back and walking towards the door.

"Now, I should probably get back to my work. So, if you're feeling up to some labor, feel free to change and join me outside." Hert told the Khajiit. Anjaarra nodded her head before the Nord left the house, closing the door behind her. Anjaarra looked back down at the amulet laying against her chest, running her fingers over the design.

_Maybe I didn't come here by accident… Maybe, maybe the Divines had this planned all along and the final part of it all is Hulgar,_ Anjaarra thought to herself. She picked up her spoon and began to finish her soup, her mind still in thought. _I guess I'll know how he truly feels if he comes looking for me…_


	17. Dreaming in a Downpour

Chapter Seventeen: Dreaming in a Downpour

The road before Hulgar seemed vast and empty, his iron boots clinking against the cobblestones. He had searched the riverbanks for hours, not finding a trace of where Anjaarra had gone. His eyes were glazed over in an almost dream-like gaze, staring ever forward. She had fought for him and saved his life, for the second time, and now she was gone. The Nord couldn't find her.

Despite the fact that he didn't want to give up on her, there was no way that he could find her. Hulgar thought for sure that she might have washed up down river if she had fallen into it. But she wasn't along any of the banks and he knew that if she had floated along the current, the rapids would have killed her. And that was all his mind could think about: Anjaarra was dead and it was all his fault. It was his fault that she had risked her life for him and that it was his fault that she had died.

_And I didn't even try to fight,_ Hulgar thought pathetically, his hands balling up in anger. _I didn't even try to fight with her and it was my fight in the first place. If I had only known she was going to do that, she'd still be here…_ The Nord's slow shuffle came to a halt, his eyes lowered and staring down at his feet. His heart felt heavy and his shoulders sagged from the weight of the guilt upon them.

"Everyone I meet dies… Everyone I loved died before me… Why shouldn't I do the same?" Hulgar muttered to himself as he slowly dropped to his knees. Thunder rumbled above his head and rain began to patter against the stone road and against his iron armor. But it didn't make the Nord look up. His body seemed weighed down and he didn't feel like he could move on any longer…

_He couldn't remember when the Thalmor had left his home but he did remember how long the paraylsis had lasted. A full hour. It lasted a full hour and all he could do was lay on the cold ground staring at his sister's frozen face of horror. The Nord remembered how his eyes burned with angry tears but he couldn't move. And when he finally could, it burned his muscles to the point where he could only move a few inches at a time._

_It took almost another hour before he finally reached his sister, the blood that had gushed from her stomach wound had dried and crusted long ago. Tears dripped down the Nord's pale face as he stared down at the girl's dead face, his fingers numbly tracing her face. Sobs shook his body as he clenched his eyes shut, his tears falling onto her pale face._

_"Sotte… I'm sorry... I-I wasn't strong enough…" Hulgar stammered, holding his sister's face in his hands. His vision was blurred from his tears and the searing pain in his muscles but he didn't care. His last family member died and he couldn't help her._

_He sat stooped over his sister for what seemed like years, stammering apologies and cleaning her face with his tears. When it felt like no more tears would fall, Hulgar slowly cradled his sister into his arms and shakily got to his feet. The posion had finally worn off and only sparks of pain nipped at his muscles. The Nord carried his sister outside and gently laid her down a few feet away from the house. _

_Returning to the house, Hulgar gathered up a few food supplies and some spare clothes, stuffing them into a knapsack. He grabbed some blankets and linen cloths, bringing them outside and kneeling down beside his sister. His eyes wouldn't produce anymore tears but his heart was still heavy as he wrapped the sheets around her body, folding her arms in front of her stomach. He slowly wrapped her body tightly in the sheets and blankets, keeping on her head uncovered. _

_"May we meet again in Sovngarde…" Hulgar said quietly, his throat hoarse and tight as he closed his sister's eyes. A single tear slid out of his plum eyes and fell onto his sister's cheek, tearing at his heart. _

_The Nord shakily got to his feet and walked into the house one last time. This time he gathered all of the furniture in the house and piled onto the hearth. It took a few minutes but he finally got all the chairs and tables in the center of the house. And with a few sparks, it was quickly eaten by bright orange flames. Hulgar stood outside beside his sister's corpse, holding her stuffed cat as the house burned in front of them. It took about twenty minutes for the house to burn down, leaving only a few smoldering boards and coals. _

_With a final glance at the corpse, Hulgar stepped forward and grabbed a shovel that was laying in the yard, standing where the heart once was and starting to dig a hole. It was his sister's favorite place to be. It was where she laughed, sang, and was even born. And now, it was her final resting place…_

"Get out of the road, milk-drinker!" A man shouted as he steered his horse around the kneeling Nord. Hulgar glanced up only to see the thundering hooves pass by him, splashing up rain water and drenching him. Hulgar winced and wiped the muddy water off his face, looking ahead of him. The rain was falling much harder now and it was making it hard to see. But he could just barely make out the outline of a building ahead.

_Come on, _Hulgar thought. _I must keep going… I must._ He staggered to his feet, his body shivering beneath his armor as he walked down the cobblestone road. Thunder rumbled and lightning etched across the sky, making Hulgar pick up his pace as he got closer to the structure.

With each step, he saw that the building was a wood mill, but he couldn't remember which one it was. His feet began to slip as puddles began to connect on the road and it looked as if a stream had swallowed the stone road. The Nord gritted his teeth as he quickly crossed over a stone bridge and stumbled up to the front door of the cottage. He banged hard on the door, trying to get out of the rain.

"Hullo? Please, someone open the door." Hulgar shouted over the rain and thunder. He raised his hand to knock again but the door opened and revealed…

"Anjaarra…?" The Nord said in surprise, staring at the Khajiit in the doorway. She stared back at him, shock present in both of their faces. Hulgar took a step forward into the doorway to get the rain out of his eyes. And it truly was her.

"Oh, Anjaarra…" He said, looking at the Khajiit. He stepped forward and opened his arms and puased before he quickly embraced her, his armor soaking her dress. She yelped quietly at the surprised embrace but he held her close against him. "I looked everywhere for you but I couldn't find you… I thought I lost you…" He said quietly against her neck. Anjaarra smiled softly and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm sorry I worried you, Hulgar…" Anjaarra slowly slipped out of the Nord's arms, gesturing towards the Nord woman in the room. "This is Hert, she saved me and brought me here." Hert smiled and shook Hulgar's hand. "She told me you'd probably pass by here so I thought it would be best if I waited here." Anjaarra explained to the Nord man. Hulgar nodded his head slowly.

"I understand, don't worry. Thank you for your help, Hert." He said, taking off his boots.

"Oh, it wasn't a problem. But let me get you some dry clothes." Hert said as she scuttled over to her wardrobe. She opened the wooden doors and looked through it before pulling out a plain shirt and some burlap pants.

"Here you go. Feel free to change down in the cellar." Hert told him as she handed him the clothes. He nodded and took them greatfully. He thanked her before heading towards the cellar door and climbing down the ladder.

Anjaarra smiled widely as she watched the Nord leave, walking back over to her seat at the table and sitting down. Hert saw the smile and sat down across from her. She picked up her tankard and sipped from it, waiting for the Khajiit to talk to her.

"Well? What are you so giddy about?" The Nord woman asked, her curiousity getting the better of her. Anjaarra's ears flicked back slightly in embarrassment but she still had the smile plastered on her face and her eyes gleamed with joy. She opened her mouth to speak but Hulgar pushed open the cellar door and climbed back through the hatch.

"I left my armor down there to dry if  
that's alright." The Nord man said as he closed the trap door. He looked over at the two women and his cheeks flushed slightly at their stares. "Um, did I interrupt something?" He asked uneasily. Hert laughed and shook her head.

"No, of course not." She stood up from her chair and stretched, yawning quietly. "But, I think it would be best for you two stay here till the storm passes. It'll be too dangerous, especailly if the lake floods. Damn slaughterfish can come right up and bite your leg off." The Nord woman said as she turned and walked towards a closet door.

"But I have spare pillows and blankets that you both can use." She opened up the closet door and pulled out a few sheets and two pillows, tossing them towards Hulgar and Anjaarra. "Feel free to sleep wherever." The Nord woman said as she walked over to her bed and sat down on the edge of it. Anjaarra and Hulgar glanced at each other before laying down beside the low lying fire, their makeshift beds about an arm's length apart.

Hulgar watched as Anjaarra sat down near him and pulled a pendant over her head. He hadn't realized she was wearing one until she placed it next to her pillow nearest him. His eyes grew wide when he saw that it was an amulet of Mara. Anjaarra laid back and relaxed under her blankets, closing her bright orange eyes. Hulgar looked at her face before back at the amulet, grinning as he laid back as well.

"Good night everyone," Hert said as she laid down on her bed.

"Good night," Hulgar and Anjaarra said back, sleep quickly overtaking everyone.


	18. Closing in on the Kill

Chapter Eighteen: Closing in on the Kill

"Everyone inside, quick!" Aldaril shouted to his crew as he jumped down from his drenched horse and ran onto the porch of the Sleeping Giant Inn. Most of the other Thalmor were already off of their horses and were quickly running up to the door. The storm continued to rage and the constant rain had flooded the river. The road had been covered with the spillover of the river and there was enough water to reach up pass their ankles. After the last man ran into the tavern, Aldaril quickly followed and slammed the door shut behind him. The Lead Justiciar did a quick scan of the room, noting that the place was full.

_Most of them must've came in here when the river started to flood,_ Aldaril thought as he took off his helmet and propped it against his hip. The other Justiciars did the same, rain water still dripping off of their armor. The room was deafly quiet, like it had been at the Frostfruit Inn, but Aldaril was too exhausted to make a show like Erikour had done. With a stern nod towards the other inhabitants, Aldaril turned to his men and spoke in the Altmeri.

"Take a seat and relax. We're not going far until this storm blows over." Aldaril said, making his voice loud enough to be heard over the pounding of the rain. The soldiers nodded their heads and sat down at a few free tables as Aldaril continued to gaze around the room. The barkeeper, Orgnar, watched him from the corner of his eye as he conversed with an Orc woman. A smirk played across the Thalmor's lips as he placed his helmet on a table and walked over to the counter.

"Evening, citizens." Aldaril said, cutting off Orgnar's and the Orc's conversation. The barkeeper turned and openly glared at the golden elf, the smirk still on his golden lips. "I would like to rent a room for the night." Orgnar still glared at the elf before shaking his head.

"We're all out of rooms." The dark haired Nord said. Aldaril leaned forward on the counter, dropping a large bag of golden Septims onto it.

"There's three more bags where this came from if you send all of these people home." The Thalmor soldier. His gold-brown eyes flicked over to the Orc woman, noticing her odd gaze. Was that fear in her eyes? And if so, why should she be? Unless…

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. These people are here because it's safer here than in their own homes." Orgnar told Aldaril, returning his gaze back to the man. The Thalmor looked him over before standing up straight.

"Safer?" Ha, it's not safer here." Aldaril turned away from the barkeeper and looked out at all of the townspeople crowded into the inn. "Fair people of Riverwood, you are all in grave danger. I believe this man told you that it's safer here, correct?" The Thalmor shouted out over the drumming of the rain. A few people hesitantly nodded as others continued to glare at the gold skinned elf.

"Well, you have been lied to. I'm sure that all of you people realize that the river has flooded and that the second closest building to the river, besides the blacksmith, is this here inn. Now, I'm not sure if you all have realized but the water is already lapping at your front door and the floor boards will be soaked with water in only a few minutes." Aldaril explained, seeing some of the glares soften slightly.

"Now, I think it would be best for you all to go to the house that is the very farthest away from the river. If there are too many people, then the two farthest. But I believe that this man has told you to come here so he can line his pockets with your hard earned gold." The Thalmor pointed a finger at the innkeeper, feeling his open glare as the townspeople before him slowly realized that what he said was true.

"If it would make you all feel better, my men and I will escort you safely to the farthest house and make sure that you are all cozy." Aldaril said, seeing a few more people nod again. But a Bosmer man stepped forward, glaring at the Thalmor.

"How do we know this isn't some trick to raid our village?" The wood elf said, his fists on his hips. Aldaril shrugged before gesturing towards the door by waving his hand.

"Go ahead and open that door. I garauntee you that water will come in and wet all of your toes." He told them. The wood elf glared at the golden elf for a moment longer before walking to the door and opening it, a small surge of water flooding into the inn and splashing around the townspeople's feet. A few people shouted out at the feel of the cold water, the Bosmer turning to glare at the Thalmor soldier. He went to say something but a rumble of thunder drowned out his voice. The Bosmer turned away again and left the inn, the townspeople quickly following.

"Except for you, citizen." Aldaril said as he grabbed the Orc woman's arm and stopped her progress to the door. She turned her head and glared at the soldier with her orange eyes, her teeth jutting out from her bottom jaw.

"Why? I haven't done anything wrong, Thalmor." She said, pulling her arm away from the Lead Justiciar. One of the other soldiers quickly shut the door, another rumble of thunder shaking the inn. Orgnar stood behind his counter and glared at each of the Thalmor.

"What do you want with us, Thalmor?" The Nord man said bitterly. Aldaril glanced at the Nord then back at the Orc.

"I don't know. What do you think I want?" He said, slowly circling around the Orc woman. Her eyes were filled with a mix of fear and anger, but her face was all rage.

"I think you want to be moving on and leave us all alone." Orgnar hissed out. Aldaril shook his head and sighed with frustration, looking at one of his soldiers.

"Shut him up, will you?" The Lead Justiciar said. The Thalmor soldier quickly nodded his head and walked behind the counter. The barkeeper struggled and shouted as the Justiciar pushed him towards a chair and shoved him into it.

"Get your hands off of me! I said get off!" The Nord shouted, trying to stand up but a gloved fist quickly collided into his jaw, making him fall back into his seat. The first Thalmor grabbed the man's shoulders and held him still. Aldaril shook the dull throb of pain out of his hand before turning back to the Orc. Her eyes were now full of fear as she slowly backed towards the door.

"Now where are you going, Orsimer?" He said wickedly as one of the soldiers grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards the Lead Justiciar. She struggled and squirmed before pushing the soldier away. Aldaril placed his hand on her jaw, holding her chin between his thumb and forefinger.

"What's the matter, green elf? Do we scare you?" He said, his voice low. The Orc stared at him, her eyes only slightly wider before she shook her head and quickly stepped back, her glare returning to her eyes.

"I'm not scared of you slimy bastards. I could take you all on." She said defiantely, pulling out an orcish made dagger. Aldaril wasn't surprised at the blade, only glancing at it with a half concerned look.

"Really? With a flimsy little knife like that?" Aldaril shrugged and pulled out his sword, hearing a few other soldiers do the same. He held his free hand up to them. "No, just me and the abomination." Aldaril smirked with his fellow soldiers as he looked back at the Orc, her sneering glare clashing against his smirk.

"Make the first move, tyrant." The Orc said, holding her dagger at the ready with her left hand while keeping her right hand balled up in a fist. The soldier looked at the fist before looking at the ugly, green face.

A short battle shout left the Thalmor's lips as he lunged forward, stumbling slightly as the Orc sidestepped his lunge. She quickly brought down her dagger on the elf's armor. The blade bounced off and she stumbled back but quickly regained her footing. Aldaril stood back up and quick thrusted his sword forward. The Orc side stepped again and slashed out at the armored wrist, only succeeding in knicking the elven armor. The soldier quickly returned his sword to his side, looking at the green orc.

"Where did you learn to fight?" He asked her, his eyes looking over her. She seemed like the normal type of Orc but she seemed to be far more skilled than the usual rabble of Orc. That was when he noticed the chains of a pendant disappear under her shirt and he knew that his suspicions were true. The Orc saw his gaze and glanced down at her concealed amulet.

"I learned how to fight when I was fighting you scum in the war." She said, pulling on the chain and revealing an Amulet of Talos. The air in the room seemed to grow thicker as the Thalmor glared harder at the amulet and at the Orc. She had a satisfied smirk on her face as she shifted the blade to her right hand.

Aldaril stared at her hands before quickly charging forward, swinging his sword down hard. The Orc jumped back and quickly punched the elf in the face. Aldaril yelped in pain and stumbled back, his sword only grazing the Orc's shoulder. But she took this to her advantage. The green woman quickly lunged forward and cut at the Thalmor's arm, only managing a few tears in the armor. Aldaril stepped back, bringing his foot up and kicking the Orc back.

The green Orc flew back onto a table, breaking through and crashing onto the floor. Aldaril quickly ran forward, kicking her dagger out of her hand and stabbing his sword through her shoulder. The Orc screamed out in pain, her eyes glaring up at the soldier. He smirked coldly as he grabbed the orcish dagger and kneeled beside the Orsimer. He held the knife against her throat, watching her tremble with fear as he spoke.

"Now, I'm sure that you're not the Talos-worshipper we're looking for. So, maybe you can help us in our quest." Aldaril hissed under his breath, noticing that the grumble of rain had died down to a patter on the roof. The Orc glared up at the soldier, blood running out of the wound in her shoulder.

"I'm telling you nothing, you pig." She growled up to him. Aldaril glared down at her and pressed the blade into her throat. Pricks of blood welled up around the blade. The Orc gasped and resisted the urge to move her head in fear of driving the dagger deeper into her skin.

"I'd be careful of what you say to me, Orc. Just remember who has the upper hand." He hissed down to her. "Now, tell me, did a Talos-worshipper pass through here?"

The Orc stared up at the Thalmor with fear filled eyes. The golden elf smirked at the stare, watching the Orc glance over at Orgnar who was weakly looking over at them. Beads of perspiration were appearing on her forehead as she looked back up at the Lead Justiciar. She opened her mouth but she quickly spit a wad of mucus into his face.

"I'd rather go to Oblivion than tell you anything." She said, glaring up at the Justiciar. Aldaril quickly wiped the slime off of his face, his golden brown eyes glaring down at the green Orc.

"Then you shall die at my blade, you traitorous filth." Aldaril said as he leaned back and held the orcish dagger high above his head. The Orc stared at it wide eyed but she didn't let the fear freeze her muscles.

With a swift motion, the Orc yanked the sword out of her shoulder and hit the Thalmor in the nose with the butt of the sword. Aldaril cringed and fell back, dropping the dagger as his hands flew up to cover his bleeding nose. The Orc jumped to her feet as one of the other Justiciars lunged at her. She dodged the attack and quickly brought the sword down on the elf's arm, severing his hand at where her blade hit him. A swift kick in the chest sent the screaming Thalmor backwards and into the burning hearth in the center of the inn.

The Orc ignored the burning elf's screams as two more Justiciars jumped at her, their swords extended. But with a few parries, the Orc kept their swords at bay, not noticing the Lead Justiciar stand up behind her, the orcish dagger once again in his hands. The Orc lunged forward and stabbed a Thalmor through the chest, pulling the sword back to strike again but a sudden pain flooded through her neck and spine. She screamed out in pain, dropping the elven made sword as she felt the orcish dagger drag itself down her back. Her eyes bulged out in pain as she slowly dropped to her knees, her body spasming at the pain flowed through her. The light began to dim as the Orc felt her blood flow freely from the gash in her back, her dying form falling forward onto the floor and laying still by the hearth.

Aldaril panted with extursion and rage as he glared down at the corpse. He let the dagger fall out of his hands, hearing it clatter to the floor. His gold brown eyes looked up at the burly Nord in the chair, the hatred glowing brightly in his eyes. The Nord returned the look of hatred, his fingers gripping the arms of the chair. The Lead Justiciar picked up his sword and wiped it clean on the Orc's clothing before walking towards the man.

"I'm giving you one chance, Nord. Did a Talos-worshipper come through here?" Aldaril said, his voice filled with venom and anger. The Nord started to speak but the Thalmor quickly raised his sword and placed the tip against the man's throat. "Watch your words. I'm in no mood for your games. Just tell me and I will leave your people alone."

Orngar glared at the elf before him and then at the others in the room. Even though the Orc had killed two of them, the Nord knew he couldn't take on eight Thalmor. Looking back up the blade of the sword, the Nord sighed angrily, gesturing with his hands that he would tell what he knew. Aldaril smirked tyrannically before lowering his sword only slightly, keeping it ready for any attacks.

"Yes… A Talos-worshipper passed through here the other day. He and his companion killed a dragon that was about to raze the town. Gro-Gluk was watching over them and she was about to leave town but then the storm hit…" The Nord explained, glaring at the Thalmor. The Lead Justiciar nodded with an evil grin on his golden face.

"Who was his companion? Where were they heading?" Aldaril questioned. Orgnar shrugged, staring at the elf.

"They didn't say where they were going. They were headed west. As for his companion, I don't know her. I think she was a Khajiit but I didn't get a good look at her." Orgnar explained, tensing slightly as the blade was raised to his throat again. "I swear, that's all I know." Aldaril smirked and nodded.

"I know. But your use is over with." Aldaril said wickedly. Orgnar's eyes grew wide before he opened his mouth to protest. But before he could utter a sound, the elven made sword quickly cut the Nord's head clean off his shoulders. The Lead Justiciar smirked as the head rolled to the floor, picking it up and tossing into the fire. He looked around at the other Justiciars.

"Search this place and the Orc's house. Try and find any information you can on who these traitors are. Got it?" The Lead Justiciar commanded. The other Justiciars quickly nodded their heads before splitting up and doing as their leader said.

Aldaril stared at the dead bodies of his companions, sighing sadly as he walked over to the one with the chest wound. His body was slowly losing heat, the light in his eyes had already dimmed and disappeared. Kneeling beside the body, the Lead Justiciar whispered a prayer while he closed the soldier's eyes, crossing the dead elf's arms over his chest. He sighed and stood up, staring at the burnt corpse in the hearth. There was no way that he could give him his prayers to Aetherius. Aldaril could only hope that he would make it.

The Lead Justiciar's gold brown eyes glanced at the other two corpses in the room, his eyes hardening at their sight. He walked over to the Orc's body and went through her pockets, hoping to find something useful. She had been carrying a few bundles of parchment that the Thalmor confiscated from the corpse. After finding nothing else, he picked up the body and tossed it into the burning hearth. It was at this time that Aldaril realized that the rain had ceased, or it was at least falling light enough that he didn't hear it over the sizzling corpses and popping of the fire. The Thalmor turned to the Nord's body and checked his body, finding a rolled up map and a hidden Amulet of Talos in a hidden pocket of the corpse's jacket. Aldaril glared at the headless body before deciding that the body was clean of any other evidence. He picked up the corpse and tossed it into the fire, watching as embers flew up into the air.

The air grew thick with the stink of burning flesh and death but Aldaril ignored it. He slowly strolled behind the counter and grabbed a bottle of Black-Briar, uncorking it and gulping down most of it quickly. He wiped his lips with the back of his gauntlet before walking over to a table and sitting down at it. The Thalmor took out the map he had found on Orgnar's body and unfurled it, using a few empty tankards to keep it unfurled. It was a map filled with annotations and arrows. The gold-brown eyes of the Lead Justiciar stared at the piece of paper in confusion before he realized what it was. It was a map revealing all of the Stormcloack hideouts in Skyrim. A wicked smile crossed the Thalmor's lips as he drank the last of the Black-Briar Mead.

"These scum won't know what hit them…" Aldaril muttered under his breath, the air stinking with the stench of death, sizzling corpses, and Thalmor tyranny.


	19. Mysterious Nightmares

Chapter Nineteen: Mysterious Nightmares

_Anjaarra stood in the frontlines of a battlefiled, her body clad in steel armor and her furry hands gripping a steel warhammer. She looked down at herself in confusion, trying to wrap her mind around what was happening. She could hear a man shouting about glory and honor but she didn't know who it was. She looked up to see a man walking around with a bear skin draped over his shoulders and head. The cat-woman realized that it was the deceased Galmar Stone-Fist. But why he was in her dream and what exactly was happening was beyond her._

_The Khajiit tried to turn her head to the side to look at her comrades but she couldn't move at all. She struggled and strained but couldn't move a muscle. Her mouth opened to scream but nothing came out, not even a rasp of air. She tried again but nothing came out once was a loud shout from Galmar and her muscles suddenly propelled her body forward, forcing the Khajiit to run towards what looked like a battle ready Whiterun._

_Anjaarra tried to turn away but her legs kept moving her forward to the first line of defense. There were plenty of guards at the ready, their swords and shields raised as she ran forward and raised her warhammer high. She brought it down with unknown strength, crushing the helmet of an Imperial soldier. She grimaced as her body turned and attacked another guard, this time the blow striking the man in the chest and sending him flying into a wooden spike. She felt her stomach lurch but her body moved as if controlled by a different mind, turning towards another group of Whiterun soldiers._

_The uncontrollable arms of the Khajiit raised the warhammer high above her shoulder and she swung it wide, striking the soldiers in front of her to the side. Her mind screamed at her body to stop and run but it ignored all commands as her body loomed over the fallen soldiers, the warhammer raising once again only to fall upon the weaponless guards…_

Anjaarra lurched and bucked in her sleep, her whimpers filling the silent air. Hulgar had been awakened by her thrashings moments ago but she wouldn't wake up to him. He pushed on her shoulder and shouted her name several times. He even spilt water over her but nothing would wake her. All the Nord could do was stare at her and hope that she would wake up eventually.

"How long has she been like this?" Hert asked from her bed, watching the convulsing cat-woman. Hulgar stared at the Khajiit before shrugging and looking up at Hert.

"I don't know… I just woke up a few minutes ago but I would guess at least an hour or more. She won't wake up to anything…" The Nord man sighed and shook his head, looking back down at Anjaarra. Worry was obviously sketched across his face, Hert could easily see that. She quietly stood up and walked over to the pair and knelt beside the cat-woman.

"Has she been in contact with anything abnormal? Like vampires or ghosts or something? Anything that could have transferred something to her." Hert asked the Nord man. Hulgar slowly shook his head, trying to think back. The only thing that really happened was the spider attack but she had recovered from that. But then there was…

"She had destroyed a soul gem… To protect me." Hulgar said quietly, staring at the Khajiit's face. Her feline features were contorted in pain and horror, her body still convulsing. Hert nodded with realization.

"That's probably what it is." She said. Hulgar looked up at her and opened his mouth to say something but she asked a question before he could. "Did she have direct contact with it?" Hulgar closed his mouth and nodded his head.

"Yeah, she attacked it with a dagger. Then it exploded and flung her into the river." Hulgar said quietly, looking back down at the prone cat-woman. Hert nodded again before sadly shaking her head.

"Then I think I know what's happening. I read somewhere that if soul gems aren't destroyed properly, the person who had the closest contact to it will witness freak visions and nightmares. They're mostly memories of the person's soul but no one really knows for sure…" Hert explained, staring down at Anjaarra. Hulgar did the same, softly touching the cat-woman's hand.

"How long will it last?" He asked the Nord woman without looking at her. Hert shrugged, sighing sadly.

"It could last maybe only a few more minutes… Or it could last a week. I really have no idea." She said in a defeated tone. With a heavy sigh, the woman got to her feet, patting Hulgar on the shoulder. "She'll recover soon, I promise. You just try and get some rest, okay?" Hulgar nodded, still staring at Anjaarra's face. Hert looked at him before walking back to her bed and laying down. But Hulgar sat beside the cat-woman, gripping her hand as she tossed and turned in her sleep.

_Anjaarra's body continued to fight the Imperial soldiers that tried to protect Whiterun. Their attempts were all in vain, though. The warhammer in the cat-woman's hands was stained with dark crimson blood and it coated her gauntlets and chest plate. She had witnessed the feeling of vomiting but nothing had come out of her body as her body continued to fight. Her arms swung out wide and caved in a helmet of a soldier before she heard a sudden booming sound. Her head turned towards the gate that lead into the city just in time to see bodies of Stormcloack soldiers flying out in all directions. Anjaarra stared in bewildered surprise before her body quickly moved in that direction, seeing a man wearing all daedric armor battling with Galmar and… Hulgar?! _

_Anjaarra felt her jaw drop as she watched the two Nords battle the daedric armored warrior. Her body felt rigid as she watched the trio battle each other for an unknown amount of time. But reality hit the Khajiit when a sudden pang of pain shot up through her calf. She turned and saw an Imperial raise his sword to hack at her leg again. But her arms swung the warhammer hard and the steel mallet struck the man in the chest. The man stumbled back and the mallet was raised high above her head. Anjaarra squeezed her eyes shut and felt the weight of the warhammer slowly disappear._

_The Khajiit slowly peeked her eyes open to see that the scenery had changed. She was in some sort of chasm or grotto, a stream flowing through the center of the place and trees growing around the edges of the oval shaped place. There was a stone brick building built into the side of the chasm and stairs were carved into the stoney hills that jutted out into the space. Wooden tables and braziers littered the space, men and women in Stormcloack uniforms milling about. Anjaarra knew this place. It was Bloated Man's Grotto._

_S'Baadar had told her about this place when the caravan he was with made a stop there. It was an overgrown little hole in the mountains where the last of the Blades, a man by the name of Bolar made his final stand and created a shrine to Talos. It was just a simple statue of the mighty Talos and a few crumbling walls built around him. But the place grew into disrepair and no one knew about it. Except for when a group of lost and cold Stormcloacks stumbled upon the sanctuary and decided to make it one of their hideouts. And so they cleaned up the grotto and transformed it into a secret base for the Stormcloacks._

_Anjaarra felt her body start to move forward in slow steps, looking around at the other soldiers. They looked back at her and nodded their greetings towards her as she walked pass. Her feet were moving towards the stone building up on the hill, her boots echoing against the stone. She looked around at the beauty and wonder of the place, her eyes drinking in the sights before she walked into the building. A stone statue of Talos stood to the side of the bulding while a large table with a map of Skryim was opposite of it. The cat-woman's body knelt down and bowed before the man-god's statue. She was held in that position before she stood back up and looked over at the map table. _

_Hulgar stood next to it, anger clearly sketched onto his otherwise placid face. He was looking over the map, his hands placed on the edges of the wooden table. Next to him stood another soldier, but Anjaarra didn't know who he was. But he didn't have a serene look on his face either. The cat-woman stepped towards the table, her gaze returning to Hulgar as he looked up from the map._

_"Well, any news on the Imperial caravan?" The Nord asked. Anjaarra stared at him with confusion but she felt her head shake no._

_"No, nothing, sir." A voice said. Anjaarra gasped inwardly when she realized that it was her vioce. Or at least, the voice of the mind that was controlling her body. She stared at Hulgar as he sighed impatiently and banged his fists against the table._

_"Dammit! We could've used that to our advantage." Hulgar said as he stood up and pushed his hand through his hair, glaring at the wall. The man beside Hulgar cleared his throat before speaking up._

_"Perhaps it's best this way." The man said quietly, staring at Hulgar. The Nord quickly turned on his heels and stared at him._

_"What?! After all we've done?" Hulgar angrily shook his head, glaring at the man. "No. That is out of the question. This isn't what Ulfric would wa-…"_

_"Ulfric is dead, Hulgar!" The man shouted at him, his face reddening as Hulgar stopped and stared at him. "He and Galmar are dead and they have been for almost eight months now. Everyone else can see it but you! When will you learn that the war is over with?!" Hulgar glared at the man._

_"You just don't get it, do you, Rolaf?" Hulgar asked bitterly. Anjaarra looked over at the other Nord, seeing him glare at Hulgar. "That's what the Empire wants and those damn elves. They want us to roll over and be quiet. But that's not what I'm about to do!" Hulgar turned away and started to walk towards the door._

_"It doesn't matter. You'll be forced to soon enough." Rolaf said to Hulgar, who stopped and turned around to watch the man pull out his sword. Anjaarra gasped and felt her arms quickly pull out her warhammer. Hulgar waved his hand for her to stop and her arms froze over her shoulder, holding the warhammer tight as she slowly lowered her arms._

_"The Thalmor are on their way at this moment. They know everyone here and they will hunt us down." Rolaf continued, his sword still pointed towards Hulgar. The Nord glared harder as the man continued to speak. "I did this as a favor to all of us, Hulgar. You were leading us on a suicide mission and I wasn't about to allow you to kill us all just because its your glory mission." Rolaf shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry, Hulgar…" The man finished, raising his sword to strike at the Nord, but Anjaarra was quicker. Her arms quickly swung out and hit Rolaf in the chest, sending him flying into the wall. The man dropped his sword and slouched down against the wall but that didn't slow down Anjaarra's body as she ran forward and swung the mallet again, smashing in the man's skull._

_"You were always one for overkill…" She heard Hulgar mumble as she turned back around to face him. He was shaking his head slowly, staring at her._

_"Do you think what he said was true?" The man's voice asked through Anjaarra's body. Hulgar stared at her before shrugging._

_"I… I really have no idea." The Nord pulled out his sword. "But I'm not going to take a chance with it. If you'll fight with me for one last time…" Hulgar said, holding out his free hand. Anjaarra looked at the hand as her body extended her hand and gripped the Nord's wrist. They shook it briskly before releasing their grip._

_"I will always follow you, Hulgar." The voice said. Anjaarra watched as he nodded his approval before turning and leaving the building. The cat-woman slowly followed him outisde, seeing most of the soldiers in the grotto stop and turn to look at Hulgar. He stopped at the top of the stairs, looking around at the soldiers before clearing his throat._

_"I'm not going to sugar coat this for all of you. There was a traitor among us and he has told the Thalmor where we are." Hulgar clearly spoke out, the sound of gasps and growls echoing from the crowd. Hulgar raised his hands to quiet them down. "We have no idea whether what he said was true or not but I will not sit idle while there could be Thalmor storming in here any second now. So, I want you all on high alert. Go to your stations and keep the Thalmor back. Make them regret ever trying to take back what is rightfully ours. And remember, we all die and we will all meet in Savngarde when this is over!" Hulgar shouted out, the soldiers below him cheering out, their swords and axes raised high above their head. _

_Anjaarra stared at Hulgar, a soft smile playing across her lips. Even in the face of danger, he made sure everyone held strong and had the courage to defend what they believed in. Hulgar glanced back over his shoulder and whispered quietly._

_"Be ready for anything. I suspect that the Thalmor will be attacking soon." Hulgar walked down the steps, leaving Anjaarra nodding to herself before following close behind him. She knew that a battle would soon come and she was anxious about it. She didn't want to be forced to fight again but she had little choice or control over her body. _

_Soldiers, both men and women, scuttled around the grotto, grabbing their weapons and putting their helmets on. Everyone was preparing for the unexpected and Hulgar was making sure everyone was going to fight to their last breath. Anjaarra followed close behind the Nord, the pair of them patrolling the grotto and the outer lying area until the unexpected finally came._

_"Thalmor!" A sentry shouted as he ran into the grotto, everyone turning to face him. An arrow had pierced through his stomach but he made every effort he could to tell everyone that they were under attack. The sentry dropped dead to the ground, showing a horde of Thalmor rushing through the tunnel and into the area._

_"Everyone! To arms!" Hulgar shouted, pulling out his war axes and raising them high as everyone roared in rebellion and charged forward to fight with the Thalmor. Anjaarra had lifted up her warhammer and shouted out a battlecry as she also charged into the fray, her arms swinging the steel mallet into the choas. Her stomach churned a bit at the carnage but it wasn't as bad as she had witnessed with the Imperial soldiers. She obviously despised the Thalmor and she knew that if she had control over her body, she would have a wicked smirk on her face. _

_Her body stepped into the middle of the choas, cries of pain and anger ringing in her ears as the elves and Nords fought each other. The Khajiit swung out her arms and struck a golden elf in the face, his body flying back into a few other Thalmor. The warhammer swung out again and crushed the helmet of a Justiciar. A shout rippled through Anjaarra's throat as she struck out another pair of Thalmor, striking them to the ground and raising her warhammer high before she heard an all too familiar booming sound. _

_The "boom" struck the Khajiit, sending her flying back along with a couple of other Nords. She collided into the ground and skidded to a halt, her vision dazed and blurry. Her hands raised and rubbed at her eyes, her sight starting to focus again. And then she saw him. It was the man with daedric armor. It was the Dragonborn! _

_Anjaarra's head quickly snapped to the side to see Hulgar. His eyes glowed with hate and his face grew crimson with rage as he shouted out in a yell of defiance before quickly charging forward. Anjaarra sat and watched as the Dragonborn turned to face the Nord, raising his swords to deflect the blows of the Stormcloacks war axes. Hulgar swung madly and quickly, his axes trying to find a weak point in the legend's defenses. But there didn't seem to be one. Anjaarra's head snapped to the side and stared at a line of archers who were perched up on a cliff._

_"Archers! Fire at the Thalmor and fend them off of Hulgar if they try to intervene!" The voice shouted through Anjaarra's mouth. The archers stared at her before giving a quick nod, quickly notching arrows and firing at the Thalmor. Anjaarra watched a few of the elves fall before shakily getting to her feet. She took a few steps forward and snatched up her warhammer, looking towards the entrance of the grotto. Hulgar and the Dragonborn still battled in the entranceway, the clanging of metal against deformed, alien metal ringing through the air. The Stormcloacks resumed fighting the Thalmor but it seemed like they were trying to press forward to the legendary warrior. And that was what Anjaarra's body had in mind._

_The cat-woman's feet quickly walked forward, her arms batting away any Thalmor that got in her way. The steel mallet crushed and bashed the elves, clearing a path to the front of the grotto. It didn't take long for her to reach the pair of combatants. The Dragonborn had pinned Hulgar against a wall and had his swords raised to deal the final blow but Anjaarra shouted out and struck the Dragonborn in the back. He cried out in pain and stumbled forward, one of his daedric swords slashing across Hulgar's chest. The Nord yelped out in pain, but the rage on his face won out the pain as he quickly swung out with both of his war axes and struck the Dragonborn in his side. The steel war axes knicked the armor before bouncing off._

_The Dragonborn quickly regained his feet and swung around to face the Nord and the Khajiit. Anjaarra raised her warhammer and struck out at the Dragonborn but he quickly raised both of his blades to block the attack. Hulgar jumped in and slashed at the warrior's side again, this time the war axes bit through the armor and into the flesh of the Dragonborn. He shouted out in pain and quickly slashed out at Hulgar but he swung widely and struck the stone wall. Anjaarra quickly swung low and struck the warrior behind his knee, making him fall to a knee. The Dragonborn called out in pain again as Hulgar quickly brought his war axes down hard on the Dragonborn's helmet, splitting the head piece in several places. The Nord raised his war axes, the helmet popping off with them._

_Anjaarra gasped at the face of the Dragonborn. He was a round faced Nord, his eyes wide with fear as he stared up at the pair hovering over him. Hulgar hesitated for only a moment before he shook the helmet off of his war axes and placed the weapons against the warrior's neck._

_"You are a disgrace to all Nords and I hope the Daedra eat your soul." Hulgar hissed in disgust as he raised both war axes and brought them down on either side of the warrior's neck. The axes bit through his neck and his head flung free, rolling onto the stone floor and coating the pair with blood. Anjaarra grimaced and her hand wiped the red liquid off of her face. Hulgar glared down at the body as it slumped over and crashed to the ground, his arms slowly dropping to his side. He slowly looked back at Anjaarra, his face coated with blood and sweat._

_"Come on…" He said hoarsely. "Let's get these damn elves out of our home…" Hulgar turned back towards the grotto and slowly walked towards the fray again, Anjaarra staying back and watching him. She was surprised at how much anger and hatred had been showed on his face. And now… Now it seemed as if he was finally at peace. Anjaarra's turned to follow him but the colors and sounds of the scenery began to swirl and collide before changing to something…_

Hulgar snapped awake when he felt Anjaarra's hand tighten around his and her body twist and turn. He rubbed his eyes and yawned before looking at the cat-woman. It looked as if her nightmares were finally passing and it looked like the last of the soul's memories were almost out of her system. With his free hand, he pulled the blankets back over her.

The man's plum eyes glanced out the window, noting that the storm had finally quieted down and passed by. There were faint rays of light shining in from outside. The Nord leaned forward slightly to see the moons peeking through thin patches of clouds, glowing down at the landscape below them. Hulgar smiled softly before looking back Anjaarra.

"Everything will get better soon…" He whispered down to her, his thumb smoothing over the fur on her fingers. "I promise…" He slowly laid down beside her and closed his eyes again, a soft smile on his lips as he slipped back into a deep sleep.


	20. A Blossoming Love

Chapter Twenty: A Blossoming Love

Anjaarra awoke to the sound of birds singing outside the window, rays of sunlight pouring in through the open window. She blinked her eyes rapidly before slowly sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of them. She yawned quietly and stretched, her tail stretching out as well. The cat-woman licked her lips as she looked around the cabin, her body aching slightly. She had no idea why but she didn't dwell on it. Pushing off of the floor, Anjaarra stood up slowly and brushed dust off of her borrowed night gown.

The cabin was empty, even Hulgar was gone. Anxiety started to fill up in the Khajiit's chest but she soon heard his booming voice from through the window and her body visibly relaxed. She had thought that he returning was only a part of her bizarre nightmare. Her mind quickly thought back at it, her tail flicking slightly as she wondered what all of it meant. With a slight shrug of her lean shoulders, she walked over to the window. The cat-woman leaned over the windowsill, looking out over the yard.

The yard was muddy and full of puddles. A line stretched from the house to a tree, all kinds of fish hanging from it. Anjaarra smiled softly, thinking of how many more fish had been washed up on the road from the slight flood. Anjaarra looked about and saw bits of wood and some of the mill's logs scattered about. The bright orange eyes spotted Hert and Hulgar pushing a log back towards the main pile, both cracking jokes and teasing each other. The smile on Anjaarra's face drooped slightly, a sigh escaping her lips.

Anjaarra leaned out of the window and looked over at the Amulet of Mara. It still sat next to her pillow from the night before but did she really want to put it back on. She knew that Hulgar hadn't noticed it and even if he had, it's not like he would have mentioned it. His Nord pride was too bright to ask such a lowly creature like a Khajiit to marry him. She sighed sadly and walked over to the pile of borrowed clothes that Hert let her borrow.

The cat-woman slipped out of the night gown and slipped on the plain red dress, tying a matching sash around her waist. Her mind wandered back to the night before when she opened the door and found Hulgar standing there. A soft smile crept across her face when she remembered the hug he gave her. That was the last thing that she had expected of him and it obviously caught her off guard. _But that's not such a bad sign_, Anjaarra thought as she pulled on her boots and walked over to the door. Maybe there really was a chance for a lowly creature like her for such a prideful man like Hulgar.

The cat-woman pushed the door open, blinking her eyes a few times to get used to the bright sunlight. She shook her head slightly before stepping into the puddle covered yard, closing the door quietly. Hulgar and Hert had managed to push the log back onto the main pile and were starting to grab another one. The Nord man glanced over and saw Anjaarra standing by the door, waving over at her.

"Good morning, Anjaarra." He called over to her. She smiled and waved back, walking over and closing the gap between them.

"Good morning, Hulgar. Morning Hert." The cat-woman said, Hert smiling back at the Khajiit.

"Morning. Did you sleep well last night?" Hert asked. Anjaarra paused for a moment, thinking back at her nightmarish visions. She chewed on her lip before speaking.

"Um, of sorts. I actually had a very odd dream." Anjaarra said to the Nords. The Hert and Hulgar stopped and stared at Anjaarra, listening to her as she went on to talk about her dreams of fighting the Imperials and seeing Hulgar fight with the Dragonborn and fail. Then she went on to speak about how she was in Bloated Man's Grotto and the final battle with the Dragonborn and winning. Hulgar stared at Anjaarra grimly through the recantation of her dream.

"Wow… That's, um, bizarre…" Hert remarked after Anjaarra finished. The Khajiit nodded slightly, glancing over at the Nord man. His face was pale and he rubbed his hand over his stubble covered chin. His eyes seemed to be staring off into space. Hert nudged his arm and he cleared his throat before looking Anjaarra.

"Y-yeah, that is really odd…" He finally said, staring into the Khajiit's bright orange eyes. She nodded slowly, looking between the two Nords.

"But how could I have dreamt of all that? I just met Hulgar and he never talked about any of that, if what I saw was true." Anjaarra said, glancing between the two of them. Hulgar looked over to Hert. The Nord woman looked back at him before sighing softly.

"You had waked us up last night and Hulgar and I were talking about it. I think that when you touched the soul gem in that creature you were battling, the soul inside it transferred all of its memories into you and that was what you were witnessing last night. So, whatever you had seen in your dreams had happened sometime ago." Hert glanced over at Hulgar. "But I would suspect it was probably a close comrade of yours if he had such close contact with you." The Nord woman added. Hulgar glanced down at her before nodding slowly.

"Yes, he was one of my closest friends. His name was Balfhe. He was really my only friend that I could trust and rely on." Hulgar explained, looking over at Anjaarra. "That battle you were talking about, the one where we defeated the Dragonborn, we had actually lost that battle. The Thalmor had overrun us and the only thing that we could was surrender. By that time, though, there were only four of us left. It was just me, Balfhe, and a few other comrades." Hulgar explained, his voice filled with bitter sadness.

"There wasn't much that we could do after that point. The Thalmor took us into custody and they were shipping us off to the North Embassy to be interrogated when Talos saved us. Well, most of us. A dragon attacked the Thalmor convoy that we were in and it allowed me and another comrade of mine to escape. Balfhe wasn't so lucky. I hadn't realized that he wasn't behind me while I was running and by the time I looked behind me, I saw that he was nowhere in sight. Even the comrade who had escaped with me had up and disappeared…" Hulgar said sadly, his gaze lowering to the ground. Anjaarra stared at him sadly, her ears and tail drooping in sorrow.

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that Hulgar…" Anjaarra said quietly, looking up at the Nord man. He only nodded grimly before looking away.

"It's alright… From that point, I tried to search for a road but instead I stumbled upon a camp full of Thalmor. They had seen my tattered clothing and saw that I was still bound and knew that I was an escapee. So I ran from them as they shot arrows at me and flung their lightning bolts at me." The Nord said, his eyes glazing over as he recalled the memory.

"It had started to rain and it was coming down hard as I ran through the plains. I had never ran so fast in my life and I knew to stop would to give up to the Thalmor, whom still shot their arrows and magicka at me. I didn't think I would survive until I took a tumble down a short cliff and stumbled across some streams. I don't know how but I just barely escaped from the Thalmor that night. But my body kept running and running… Until I came upon your home." The Nord said, looking at Anjaarra, a faint smile on his lips.

"I thought I had just imagined it but there it was a cabin in the middle of nowhere. And inside was a lonely Khajiit farmer who was kind enough to save me…" He said in a hushed tone, a slight smile playing at the corner of his lips. Anjaarra stared at him and flicked her ears back in embarrassment, covering her face to hide her embarrassed smile.

"It… I… I was only helping, was all," She stuttered out, noticing Hert's soft smile as she quietly backed away from the pair. Hulgar didn't notice as the Nord woman snuck away, his plum eyes looking back over at Anjaarra.

"Well, if you weren't there, I'm not sure where I'd be now." Hulgar told her, Anjaarra's embarrassed smile growing slightly wider as she turned away from him. The Nord grinned at her and softly touched her arm. The Khajiit looked back over at him, noticing how close he was suddenly standing next to her. Her bright orange eyes grew wide as she felt his hands rest on her arms and his body close against hers. Anjaarra looked up just in time to see Hulgar lean forward to kiss her. Her orange eyes opened wide as the Nord's lips gently touched hers. She hadn't imagined what it would have felt like to kiss him but if she had, she wouldn't have imagined his lips to be as soft as they were. The Khajiit closed her eyes and enjoyed the kiss.

After a few seconds of holding the embrace, the pair slowly pulled away. Hulgar's plum eyes looked into Anjaarra's orange ones. A soft smile crept across his face as Anjaarra's ears flicked back slightly and slowly pulled away from his arms. Her tail flicked about excitedly as she lowered her eyes from the Nord.

"I, um, it…" She paused and cleared her throat, looking for the right words to say. "That was… N-nice…" She finally stammered out, a smile creeping across her lips as she looked up at Hulgar.

"Just nice?" He said softly, his smile still soft on his lips. Anjaarra looked up at him before smiling and shaking her head.

"No… It was great." She quickly stepped forward and nuzzled against his chest. Hulgar tensed slightly as he felt a rumbling against his chest. He looked down at her and realized that she was purring, her tail swaying happily behind her. The Nord smiled and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"Yeah… It was." Hulgar said back. Anjaarra smiled and flicked her tail around behind her before pulling back slightly and looking up at the Nord.

"But… How did you know?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. Hulgar looked down at her and smiled.

"Nobody wears an Amulet of Mara for fun, cat." He said teasingly, softly stroking her cheek when her ears flicked back in embarrassment and her bright eyes looked away. "But I connected the dots and figured that I was the one that you were trying to attract." The Nord added, smiling softly when the cat-woman looked back up at him.

"I… I just didn't know how you felt about me and I didn't know how you would react if I tried to tell you." She said somewhat nervously, her tail quickly flicking behind her. "But I figured that a strong and proud Nord like you would answer the call of an Amulet of Mara. So I figured I'd try and see if it would work." She said with a soft smile, a quiet purr still rumbling from her throat. Hulgar smiled down at her and cupped her cheek in his hand.

"Well, you certainly got my attention." The Nord man told her quietly. Anjaarra smiled softly and closed her eyes, leaning into the Nord's hand. They both stood close together for a few minutes more, relishing in the moment before a sudden shout startled them.

"Hey! If you two are done standing around, I'd appreciate some help with these blasted logs!" Hert shouted over to them from behind a large log. Hulgar's cheeks flushed slightly and chuckled slightly as Anjaarra smiled in embarrassment and looked down in embarrassment. He patted her shoulder softly.

"Come on, let's go help her before she complains some more." The Nord man said, leading the Khajiit over to the Nord woman, both of them smiling wide.


	21. Sending in Reinforcements

Chapter Twenty One: Sending in Reinforcements

The First Emissary Elenwen sat at her desk, looking over the map that Aldaril had shown her through the scrying crystal. She had copied it down on a piece of parchment and was gazing over it. Her mind was tumbling over all of the locations that the Stormcloaks were still hiding out in and it aggravated her. Even after several months of scouring through this snowy wasteland, there were still so many rebel Nords left to deal with.

Elenwen stared down at the parchment with a hard glare, her gold-brown eyes clouded with anger. There seemed to be rebel holdouts all over the province and her hands bunched up into fists of anger. She thought of how the few remaining Stormcloaks were probably laughing at her ignorance and drinking their foul tasting mead. An evil smirk crossed the Emissary's lips as she stood up from her desk.

"We'll see about that," She said quietly to herself. She picked up the map and quickly walked out of her bedroom. She quickly walked down the stone staircase and continued down into the underbelly of the embassy. The First Emissary passed a few servants on her way but ignored them as they asked if they could be of any service. Her mind was formulating her next grand scheme and she needed to be as focused as she could.

Elenwen paused in front of an iron door that lead down to the ruins below the embassy. She pulled out a ring full of various keys, unlocking the multiple locks that the door acquired before pushing it open. Placing the keys back into the pocket in robe, she closed the door behind before proceeding down a set of ancient stone steps. There wasn't anything abnormal at first; the stairs looked of the average sort and led to a simple stone landing. But as she rounded the corner and walked down another set of stairs, a gleaming, golden Dwemer door stood at the end of the steps.

This time Elenwen pulled out a single key, this one made of the same golden metal as the door. She entered the key into the lock and turned it, hearing several tumbles click and unlock the Dwemer door. Placing the key back in her pocket, the Emissary pushed the door open and stepped through it, closing it behind her and hearing the lock click back into place. Her eyes roamed over the large open room before her.

She stood on the outskirts of a large underground courtyard, a stone fountain spraying out cold mountain water a few feet to the side. There were a few stone benches scatted across the courtyard, some flushed against the stone walls and a few just sitting in the middle of the open space. Golden braziers burned dully by a few of the benches. Dwemer light fixtures hung down from the ceiling and glowed brightly, adding a dull blue hue to everything. At the opposite end of the courtyard, a wide set of steps led down into another open courtyard. Elenwen crossed the empty stone courtyard and walked down the stone steps.

The next courtyard looked about the same but this one had a large tree growing up from the center of it, strange dark blue leaves growing out if its gnarly branches. Purple flowers grew in patches in the blue leaves, leaving a strange scent in the air. There were a few other Thalmor standing around in the courtyard, most of them being scientists or engineers. Elenwen nodded her head at them as past them by and turned into a thin corridor. Golden pipes rumbled above the Emissary's head, carrying fresh cold water throughout the Dwemer compound.

The First Emissary turned a corner in the corridor and down another flight of stairs before walking into the legendary Hangar. The ancient Dwemer monstrosities littered the stone floor, her eyes gazing over the different contraptions. A smirk crossed her lips as she thought of how the Stormcloaks would react if a few of the machines were to attack their precious bases. She walked down the stone stairs into the room and strode pass a few of the contraptions, her golden eyes glancing at each one.

Each machine was designed differently, and with each unique design came a unique way of killing their enemies. There were a few that tore their prey apart while others squashed their enemies like bugs. There were other machines that even drilled their way into the bodies of their victims only to drill their way back out. Elenwen grimaced slightly at the thought of that machine, trying to imagine what was going through the mind of the Dwemer that had created that machine.

She shook her head of the disturbing thought as she walked into a small room off of the Hangar, closing the golden door behind her. It was a simple war room that had a map of Skyrim. There was also a chest full of war plans and other maps, most of them old and useless. A Thalmor who had been tracing a line over the Skyrim map looked up at Elenwen, his wrinkled face grinning at the female Thalmor.

"First Emissary, what a surprise to see you." The Thalmor said as he straightened up and bowed his head. First Emissary Elenwen nodded back at him, striding over to the map table.

"General Eraamon, I have acquired a piece of information that you might appreciate." The Emissary said as she stood across the table from the Thalmor man. He stared at her with a wolfish grin.

"Oh? And what is that, Emissary?" He asked coolly. His words had a soft accent to them but it wasn't as bad as it had been. General Eraamon had been sent in from Alinor a few weeks after the civil war had ended. He wasn't very well known outside of Alinor, or even inside the home country for a matter of fact. But he did have a great way of leading men into battle, and even greater knack for machines. Hence why he was stuck down in the Hangar. Elenwen grinned at the General and held up the rolled parchment. The General stared at it with slight curiosity before looking back at the Emissary.

"You came down here to show me a roll of parchment?" He questioned, snorting with disgust. Eraamon started to look away Elenwen slammed the parchment onto the table and unfurled it. The General stared at it in slight confusion, his eyes roaming over the parchment.

"This here is a map found on the corpse of a Talos-worshipper," Elenwen started, watching the General's face. "It shows all of the locations of hidden Stormcloak bases along with fences that aid the traitors and give them food and weapons." A smirk crossed the General's face as he looked up at the First Emissary.

"But I don't think they'd be expecting a sudden attack from a group of Thalmor and a killing machine, do you?" He asked evilly, standing up straight up again. Elenwen smirked evilly with him.

"Let's hit these traitors fast and hard, General." Elenwen said, the General quickly nodding with agreement.

"Yes, we shall. But who should taste our power first?" He asked, stooping over the table to look over the copied map. Elenwen did the same, her brown eyes staring over the parchment. There were a few locations near the embassy that could be use as good targets but the First Emissary wanted something that would really drive home a warning to all Talos-worshippers. She was about to point to a location when there was a light knock the Dwemer made door. The General quickly looked up at the door as the Emissary snorted with impatience and stood up.

"Come in," Eraamon called out to the door. It slowly opened to reveal a Thalmor servant. He stood nervously in the doorway as he bowed his head before speaking.

"Um, F-First Emissary…?" He started out. Elenwen rolled her eyes.

"Yes? Get on with it." She snapped, not in the mood for a foolish servant to eat up more of her time. The servant jumped slightly at the harsh tone but cleared his throat before continuing.

"You have r-received a message through the scrying crystal." He said quietly, holding out a folded piece of paper. "It's from L-Lead Justiciar Aldaril, First Emissary. He told me to relay the message to you." He explained as the Emissary stepped forward and snatched the paper away from him. She quickly unfolded it and read over the note. Her eyes shot open and the brown orbs quickly looked over at the servant.

"Is this true?" She practically shouted at the man, stepping towards him. The man cowered slightly before nodding quickly.

"Y-yes, First Emissary! He showed it to me as proof!" He quickly stammered out, staring at her with wide, frightened eyes. The Emissary glared at him before quickly slamming the door on his face, turning to the General. He stared at her sternly, his jaw locked into place.

"What was that all about?" He asked her, her eyes piercing into his. The First Emissary walked forward and tossed the note onto the table. The General picked it up and read its single sentence: _the tracker has been destroyed_ _on the road to Markarth_. The General's eyes shot up in surprise and anger, Elenwen nodding at his expression.

"And it must be true…" She said quietly, placing her hand on her chin as she watched the General's expression. He angrily tossed the note onto the table before looking at Elenwen.

"Where do you think this traitor is running to?" Eraamon questioned his voice void of all emotion except for frustration and rage. Elenwen stared at him before looking down at the map. She thought of where the tracker must have been destroyed and then looked at the surrounding annotations. She scanned the map before eyes landed on an interesting one. She pointed a golden finger at Dushnikh Yal.

"Here. He must be trying to get out of Skyrim and try to get to Cyrodiil." She said with confidence, staring at the General. He looked at the spot then at her.

"Are you certain that is where he could have gone?" He questioned the First Emissary. She nodded her head.

"Yes, I'm certain that is where he must have gone." She said, staring down at the annotation, an evil smirk starting to cross her lips. "But if the Orcs there will give him aid, then they must have given aid to other Stormcloaks. So, maybe they should be taught a lesson." Elenwen spoke, her voice dripping with venom as the General's face adopted a similar look as hers. He quickly nodded his head in agreement.

"And if so, then we'll need our best machines to take care of them." He said, walking around the table and walking to the door. He opened it and stood in the doorway, looking out over the different contraptions. Elenwen stood a few feet behind him, waiting for him to choose his toys. A grin crossed his lips as he pointed at machination. The First Emissary looked over his shoulder to look at what he was pointing at.

The machine looked like several pairs of sharp spider legs all strapped together with an insect-like head attacked at the front. A small cage sat on top of its head where the soul gem was to be nestled into it. Large golden mandibles stood out of its skull and looked like they had tasted blood more than once before. The General nodded with evil glee.

"I'll send out the skitter along with a group of twelve Justiciars and four mages." The General said, glancing over his shoulder at Elenwen. She nodded slowly but then shook her head.

"Send more than one machine. Remember, one Talos-worshipper destroyed one machine and three of my men have been killed. I'm sure that the Orcs will be much more formidable against such a small attack group." Elenwen explained, watching the General as he quickly turned back to look out at the Hangar. His golden eyes scanned the other machines before pointed another one. This time it was a pair of machines and they looked more than enough to take care of the Orc stronghold.

They looked like large golden boxes, both equipped with long saw blades on either side of them. But six cog-like wheels sat below the boxes, giving them an almost untouchable look. There were a thin slits on all sides of the machines, allowing archers access to shoot arrows at enemies outside of the protective box. Elenwen grinned widely at the contraptions, clapping the General on the back.

"Those damn traitors won't know what hit them." She said, laughing evilly.


	22. Getting Rid of a Few Nuisances

Chapter Twenty Two: Getting Rid of a Few Nuisances

Anjaarra and Hulgar spent a good portion of that morning helping Hert tend to the mill and get everything resituated. Most of the logs had been returned to the stack but a few had escaped into the lake, floating out in the open water. It had taken almost an hour to bring them all back in and Anjaarra's arms ached before they were even finished. Hulgar didn't seem to complain too much. He worked quietly but kept a soft smile on his face while he did what was asked of him.

Hert plopped down on a tree stump with a satisfied sigh, the unlikely couple doing the same. The Nord woman grinned at them, watching as Hulgar wrapped an arm loosely around the cat-woman's waist. It was a sweet thing to witness and filled both women with joy. Anjaarra stretched and yawned, a few joints in her body snapping and popping.

"Not used to hard work, eh?" Hert teased. Anjaarra winced slightly as her bones and muscles settled differently in her body, a shuddering sigh leaving her lips.

"No, this is much different than farming." The Khajiit said. Hulgar grinned at her, patting her back softly before standing up and stretching as well. Hert glanced between them before clapping her hands against her legs and standing up.

"Well, I'm not sure about you two, but I'm going to make some lunch for us." The Nord woman said, starting to walk towards the house. The couple watched her as she disappeared into the house, an awkward silence falling in the space between them. Hulgar glanced at the Khajiit and cleared his throat.

"So, um…" He started, his voice faltering for a second as the cat-woman gazed up at him. "We should probably leave in the morning. The storm may have slowed down the Thalmor as well and we should have a pretty good head start tomorrow." Hulgar said. Anjaarra nodded her head in agreement, her tail swishing slowly behind her.

"Okay. That sounds good." She said, standing up from her seat. The Nord watched her with his plum eyes as she stretched for a moment and yawned. He went to say something but there was a sudden shout from the road. Both companions quickly looked over to see eight Thalmor sitting upon golden horses, swords and bows in their hands. Anger and rage were on their hardened faces as the golden elves glared at them.

"You have escaped us for too long, Talos-worshippers!" A Justiciar shouted at them, his elven made great sword wielded in a single hand. Hulgar stepped forward protectively as four of the Thalmor notched arrows against their bowstrings. "Now, it is time for you face the might and power that is the Aldmeri Dominion!" He shouted at them. With a swift motion, he swung his sword down and shouted out in the Aldmeri language.

"Move!" Hulgar shouted. The four archers quickly released their arrows at the odd pair. The Nord quickly pounced at Anjaarra and pushed her down against the damp ground as the four arrows whizzed past where they once stood. The dull thuds of the arrows could be heard as they struck random trees only a few paces away. Hulgar looked down at Anjaarra with an apologetic look before rolling off of her and ducking behind a large log. The Khajiit watched him for a moment before quickly rolling behind a nearby tree. She leaned against it and panted hard with fright, glancing over the Nord man.

Hulgar was lying on his stomach behind the log but he was slowly crawling towards a tree stump. She watched him confusedly before seeing what was sticking out of the stump. It was a rusty looking wood axe, but it looked like it could do well for chopping Thalmor, though. She watched him for a moment before craning her neck around the trunk to see what the Thalmor on the road were up to. The four archers were still on their horses, arrows pulled back and at the ready as the four other elves had dismounted from their geldings and were slowly advancing towards where the pair were taking cover.

A shuddering breath left her lips as Anjaarra leaned back against the tree again, cursing herself under her breath for not caring her dagger. She glanced back over at the Nord, seeing that he had reached the tree stump and was waiting for the right time to grab the axe. She gnawed on her lip for a moment before grabbing a nearby stick and slowly getting to feet, leaning her back against the trunk of the tree. Her orange eyes closed and she drew in a deep, steady breath and slowly let it go. The Khajiit slowly opened her eyes again and tensed her body before quickly running out from her hiding place. She heard a shout from the archers and heard the twanging of sound of the arrows being released but the cat-woman was too fast for the projectiles as she ducked behind a large boulder.

Dropping down to her knees, she peeked behind the rock to see Hulgar on his feet and with the wood axe in his hands. He was swinging at two of the Justiciars, the sounds of metal against metal ringing out in the otherwise quiet air. The other two swordsmen were starting to close in on her, though, and the only weapon she had was the stick she had picked up. She hissed and bared her teeth as one of the elves came towards her, her ears flattened back against her head. The elf stared at her and laughed obnoxiously.

"You cats are so primitive. You can't scare me by flashing your teeth." The Thalmor said with a smirk as he brought his sword around and swung it out at the Khajiit. She quickly ducked out of the way and rolled behind the boulder, hearing a second sword whiz through the air and clash against the rock. With a quick motion, she smacked the wrist of the Thalmor who swung at the rock, only succeeding in hearing the Justiciar curse under his breath. Jumping back a few paces, her orange eyes glanced back and forth between the Thalmor as they raised their swords at the ready and began to advance on her. She stared at them with fearful eyes, glancing over at Hulgar to see him still battling his own Thalmor.

The Khajiit looked back at the elves in front of her, gripping the stick tight in her hands. She felt cool stones beneath her feet and she knew that she was near the lake. The cat-woman rose up her stick and held her ground, staring dead on at the two Thalmor, trying to remove all fear from her face. The golden tyrants paused at the spectacle, another roar of laughter escaping their golden lips. Their heads were tilted back as they continued to snicker at the Khajiit. She glared at them before quickly stepping forward and smacking the closest one in the face with the stick. When he shouted out in pain and stumbled back, Anjaarra quickly snatched away the sword, skipping a few steps back as the other Thalmor lounged forward. The cat-woman whacked him with the flat of the blade, smirking as the elf stumbled forward and fell to the ground.

Anjaarra quickly swung down at the fallen Thalmor but the blade contacted only smooth stones, the elf had rolled out of the way and back on his feet. She regained her posture and raised the sword, ready to take on the high elf. She growled at him and bared her teeth again, this time only a sneer was returned her way. Her tail flicked about behind her with agitation, anticipation making her arms and body twitch.

"Come on, elf. Strike me and show me who the dominant one is." Anjaarra taunted at the elf. The elf's face grew hard as he glared at the cat-woman. She saw his body relax slightly and his sword lowered only a fraction of an inch as he opened his mouth to speak. But before a syllable could be spoken, she stepped forward with lightning speed and swung down hard at his hands, severing them at the wrist. Golden blood spurted out at her and coated the sleeves of her dress as the Thalmor screamed out in pain and stumbled back. Anjaarra didn't have time to grimace and wipe away the blood, quickly bringing her sword around and striking the pain stricken elf in the neck. Though the sword didn't cut all the way through, it did the trick to shut him up.

With a rough motion, she yanked the blade out of the golden flesh of the Thalmor, blood spurting out of the wound in his neck as he slowly fell to his knees. His mouth opened and closed like a fish as blood streamed out from his golden lips. With an almost reluctantly slow speed, his body fell forward onto the stony ground. Anjaarra watched the elf fall before looking up at the other Thalmor. His eyes were wide with shock and surprise as he watched his fallen companion lay still on the ground. Before he could collect his wits, Anjaarra lounged forward and drove the elven blade through his armor and through his stomach. He gasped in pain and wrapped his hands around the blade, staring into Anjaarra's eyes. She stared back at him, seeing pain cloud his once evil glare. His eyes seemed to soften slightly, as if to apologize for what all the Thalmor had done. But the look had disappeared just as quickly as it had disappeared as the life light dimmed in his eyes and he slumped against the blade.

Anjaarra tried to keep up the blade and tried to push him off but with the weight of the Thalmor and the combined weight of his armor, his was too heavy for her. She let go of the sword and stepped out of the way, watching the elf fall at her feet. She stared at the corpses before shaking her head sadly and kicked the hands away from the other sword. The cat-woman picked up the blade and looked back over towards the cottage and where Hulgar was waging battle.

One of the two Thalmor that he had been battling had fallen to his wood axe. The Nord was now taking on the Justiciar with the great sword, who Anjaarra assumed was probably the leader of the group. There were only two archers now and at first the cat-woman thought that they had left to get more Justiciars but then she saw that Hert had also taken up the fight, firing arrows from her doorway. Anjaarra grinned at the courage that the Nord woman was displaying towards her and Hulgar. It only showed how deep the hatred for the Thalmor ran in Skyrim.

With a soft grin, the Khajiit ran forward and ran towards Hulgar to aid him in the battle. The Justiciar with the elven great sword had backed Hulgar up against the river bank. The Khajiit knew that if he was pushed back a few more feet, he'd probably slip and fall into the river and who knew what kind of creatures were attracted by the smell of spilt blood. The grimacing thought of Hulgar being torn apart by slaughterfish made her feet pump even faster toward the fight. _Only a few more feet,_ her mind sounded at her.

Anjaarra raised her sword at the ready to strike at the Lead Justiciar but then the worst thing happened: the Thalmor struck Hulgar in the chest with his sword, tossing him into the river. Anjaarra's body froze as she watched the Nord fall back into the swollen river, his body disappearing below the surface. The Justiciar turned his back at her and smirked at her over his shoulder, raising the great sword with one hand and turning halfway to face her.

"Don't look too surprised, cat. It was only a matter of time before we finally killed him. And now," The Justiciar said, raising his sword and pointing the tip towards the Khajiit's chest. "It's time for you to join him." Anjaarra growled at him and batted the blade away from her chest with her own sword, taking a few steps back and raising the sword at the ready.

"I will cut you down myself." She hissed through her teeth, gripping the sword with both of her hands and raising it level to her shoulder. The Thalmor looked back at her will dull surprise but he didn't look as worried as she had hoped. He raised his own blade and took a step back, getting into a battle ready stance. An arrow or two whizzed past her head but she ignored the potential danger of being skewered by an arrow. All she wanted was to strike this elf down and see him die by her blade.

Anjaarra couldn't take the pain of losing her loved ones by the blade of someone else. First her S'Baadar was taken by the blades of the Imperials and now… Now Hulgar had been taken from her before she could even grow to truly love him. She shook her head and closed her eyes for a moment, her mind focusing on her anger and hate. She couldn't take it anymore. She was tired of hiding her pain and she wanted to heal. She had to. The Khajiit slowly opened her eyes, a new fire burning in them as her glare focused on the Lead Justiciar. A look of brief confusion crossed the Thalmor's face but Anjaarra didn't bother waiting for him to attack.

With angry shout, she lounged forward, thrusting the elven made sword out towards the elf. He stepped away from the attack and prepared to swing his blade but the cat-woman was too fast for him. She brought up her sword and struck his chest plate, catching him off balance for a moment. Taking this opportunity for her own, she raised the sword and slashed at his shoulder, cutting through the armor and creating a deep gash in the golden shoulder. The Lead Justiciar shouted out and grabbed his shoulder, but his hand still gripped the great sword.

Without a moment's hesitation, Anjaarra struck out at him again, this time the blade slashing at the chest plate again. The Thalmor stumbled back again, his feet standing less than a yard away from the steep river bank. Anjaarra saw this and raised the blade high above her head. She yelled out a rebellious shout, preparing to swing down her blade but a sudden pain filled her side. The Thalmor had struck at her and the blade had skimmed through her side, just below her ribs. But she didn't let this stop her. With all of the strength she could muster, she brought the elven blade down hard. The sword chewed through the armor of the Thalmor and embedded itself into his shoulder next to his neck. He yelled out in pain, stumbling back and standing right on the edge of the river.

Anjaarra raised her fist to his the elf but she had no need to push him in. There was a sudden splash from the river and Hulgar exploded from the murky surface. He wrapped his large hands around the Thalmor's ankles and yanked him into the river. Fear and shock crossed his face for only a moment before he fell away into the river. Anjaarra smirked for a split second before grimacing in pain as the great sword was yanked out of her side, her knees giving away below her and making her stumble to the ground.

Hulgar saw Anjaarra fall and quickly climbed out of the river, dragging himself onto the river bank and crawling towards the cat-woman. Her hands were wrapped around at her side, blood seeping through her furry fingers. A pitiful whimper was rasping through her lips as her orange eyes looked over at the Nord. They pleaded for him to help her, to make the pain stop, to make her stay in this world with him. He nodded at the silent plea and laid her back against the ground.

Hert quickly ran over to them after she defeated the last two archers, dropping to knees beside them. She looked down at the Khajiit with frantic eyes, pulling out an iron dagger and ripping open the dress. Hulgar winced slightly at the sight of the deep gash in the cat-woman's side. The sword had gone cleanly through her flesh and blood was pouring out of the window. Hert sighed softly and pushed her fingers against the wound, hearing a gasp of pain from the wounded Khajiit.

"It's alright, Anjaarra…" Hulgar whispered softly, stroking her hand with his dripping fingers. The furry paw quickly attached the pale hand. The Nord looked into her eyes, seeing the pain and fear. He rubbed his thumb over the back of hand and squeezed her reassuringly as Hert closed her eyes and brought a healing magic to her fingertips. The fingers around the wound glowed and swirled around the gash, slowly closing up the wound. Anjaarra's breath was fast and shallow from the pain and eyes were squinted shut, but she stayed quiet during the process.

"Sit forward a little, Anjaarra," Hert said quietly. The cat-woman nodded slightly and did as the Nord woman instructed, wincing slightly. Hert placed her fingers against the wound in Anjaarra's back and healed it close. Patting her back slightly, she helped the Khajiit lay back down.

"Take it easy, okay? You may be in pain for a few more minutes." Hert explained to her, staring down at the cat-woman with a mother-like gaze. "Did you get hurt anywhere else?" Anjaarra shook her head.

"No, I didn't." She said hoarsely, slowly sitting up again. Hulgar placed a hand against the middle of her back, helping her sit up. She smiled gently at him, nodding her thanks at him. Hert kneeled beside them for a moment before looking about at the corpses of the Thalmor, a bitter laugh puffing out of her body.

"Well, I guess we should clean up this mess." She said, pushing herself up. Hulgar nodded and also stood up before helping up the Khajiit. She winced slightly before looking about at the corpses. It was surprising that the Thalmor had sent so many Justiciars after them, or more of, just for one man. She flicked her orange eyes in Hulgar's direction, letting them roam over him with curiosity. What other things has he done to anger the Empire and more importantly, the Aldmeri Dominion?


	23. Reassessing the Situation

Chapter Twenty Three: Reassessing the Situation

Cold pond water lapped around his battered body, a few salmon nipping at the golden toes. Lead Justiciar Aldaril groaned quietly in pain as he slowly pushed his body up from the pebble laden beach. A few of the tiny stones fell from his face, his vision blurred and darkened. The Thalmor blinked his eyes several times, dazedly looking about him. Nothing seemed to focus before his eyes but he knew to stay calm until his eyes focused.

There was a gentle bite on his bare toe, making him gasp in surprise. He kicked his foot, feeling something solid as he kicked it away. With slow shuffling movement, Aldaril crawled out of the water and sat down in the tall grass. Even though it was dark out, his eyes were slowly to come back into focus. The Thalmor rubbed at his eyes for a few seconds before looking around again. There was a slight haze to his vision but it was good enough to where he could at least get his bearings.

The Thalmor sat on the edge of a pond surrounded by a few trees. A stone table stood just below the surface of the water, a skeleton of man or mer laying on its surface. A waterfall fed the pond, the water flowing from the direction of where Lake Ilinata sat. _This must be where the river took me, _Aldaril thought as he shakily got to his feet. He couldn't quite place the name of where he was but he knew that he wasn't far from where the Talos-worshipper was.

The Thalmor winced as he slowly stood, the wounds in his neck crusted over with dried blood. He gently probed the wounds with his fingers, wincing as pain shot through him with each soft touch. With a soft prayer, he brought a healing magic to his hand and slowly closed up the wounds. The sharp pain softened to a dull throb, leaving behind jagged scars where the gaping wounds once were. A sigh of relief hissed through his lips as he dropped the magic.

_Now, to assess the situation,_ Aldaril thought to himself. He slowly patted himself down, feeling for any other puncture wounds or breaks. There were a few scrapes on his chest and he was missing one of his boots but he was fine nonetheless. With a nod of his head, he checked his pockets and pulled out whatever he had on his person; he carried only a few septims, an elven dagger, a soaked map of the province and the pendant that allowed him to communicate with Elenwen. He sighed and shook his head.

_Might as well let her know what all happened,_ he thought sadly to himself. Aldaril looked around and saw a mossy boulder sitting beside the pond. He awkwardly walked over to it and plopped down on its mossy top. Kicking off his boot, he held the pendant up to his face and cast the spell to contact the Emissary. It took a few repeating and a few patient minutes but the Emissary finally answered the call.

"This is First Emissary, what is it Lead Justiciar Aldaril?" The annoyed voice of Elenwen asked. Her face slowly came into focus, her hair looking as if it had been hastily combed back. Her eyes were heavy and Aldaril knew that she had probably been asleep.

"First Emissary, I am reporting in to tell you that I have located the Talos-worshipper and…" The Thalmor started but Elenwen cut in.

"Congratulations. You'll get your reward when you return." She said, her hands coming into the view as if she was about to disconnect the link.

"Wait, First Emissary!" Aldaril hastily said, seeing her hands pause. "That wasn't what I was going to say." Her hands dropped out of view and the Emissary gave him a look to quickly explain himself before she did disconnect the link. Aldaril cleared his voice and steadied his hand before speaking again. "I have located the Talos-worshipper but… He had proven too difficult to handle on my own and…" His eyes flicked down to look at the ground before he continued. "He and his companion murdered the rest of my mine. I barely survived the battle myself." He made a show of revealing the scars on his neck.

The First Emissary looked at the Lead Justiciar, her face contorted and hard to register. Aldaril watched as she opened her mouth to speak but closed it after a few seconds only to reopen it again. This went on a few moments before Elenwen kept her lips tightly shut for what seemed like an eternity. When she finally did speak, her voice sounded soft and far away, almost inaudible over the sounds of the night.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Lead Justiciar. Apparently the situation is direr than we first believed." Elenwen sighed, showing her exhaustion. She rubbed her fingers over her temples as she continued. "I guess we should have prepared better since this is the man that killed that pawn of a Dragonborn." She released another sigh, dropping her hand out of sight and staring back Aldaril. "Do you have any idea or clue of where they may be heading?" Aldaril shook his head, the crystal swaying slightly.

"No, First Emissary. But I am not far from where they are camping so I can follow them to where ever they may be going." Aldaril told the First Emissary. She thought over what he said before nodding slowly.

"Okay, proceed with that plan." The First Emissary said, stifling a yawn. "I have been speaking with General Eraamon and we have come to believe that the Talos-worshipper may be heading towards the Orc stronghold of Dushnikh Yal. They have been known to harbor other traitors and gain them passage to Cyrodiil and other parts of Tamriel. So, we have sent out a few machinations accompanied by a squad of various Thalmor soldiers." The First Emissary explained. Aldaril perked up slightly at the mention of all this, a slight smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"I want you to follow the Talos-worshipper and his companion to Dushnikh Yal or to where ever they lead you. Contact me every night until you reach the stronghold. At that time, the machines and the other Justiciars should be somewhere in the vicinity. They will wait for you at Reachwind Eyrie and they will be under your command." The First Emissary went on to explain, staring at Aldaril with a stern look. The Lead Justiciar bowed his head at the Emissary.

"Thank you for this opportunity to redeem myself, First Emissary. I promise I will not disappoint you." Aldaril told her. Elenwen stared at him.

"Let's hope not for your sake." She told him. With a quick motion of her hand, the First Emissary disconnected the link, leaving Aldaril staring at a blank crystal surface. He lowered his hand, gazing off into the dark brush surrounding him.

_Dushnikh Yal?_ He thought to himself, leaning forward. He knew from experience that one fighting one Orc was difficult enough, but fighting an entire stronghold. The Lead Justiciar shook his head at the thought of leading such a suicide mission. A sigh left his lips as he slipped the pendant back into his pocket. He had no idea what he was going to do and he had a feeling that no matter what he chose, it wouldn't end well for him or the Thalmor.

Aldaril pushed his hands through his mangled hair, wincing as he fingers pulled apart knots of his golden mane. He dropped his hands into his lap and looked down at the ground with a look of defeat. He knew that he was dropping his guard and the wall that every Thalmor was made to built up, but he couldn't afford to keep his up anymore. And with it gone, the Lead Justiciar looked like a ragged, disheveled soldier who lost everything in one foul swoop.

"And I guess I have," Aldaril muttered under his breath. He closed his golden eyes and sucked in a deep breath, holding it in his lungs for a few seconds. He recollected his thoughts, thinking of how he has to continue on his quest not just for himself, but for the future of the Dominion. He had to destroy this Talos-worshipper to set an example that even the mightiest of traitors can fall to the hands of the Thalmor. He slowly let the breath out through his nose and slowly let his eyelids open. There was a new spark in his eye and a slight smirk tweaked at the corner of his lips.

Within seconds, he had rebuilt his wall and it stood strong, ready to take on whatever Skyrim and its traitorous people had to throw at him. He tried to ignore the cracks and the tiny missing pieces in his wall but Aldaril knew that it would be able to stand long enough for him to destroy the Talos-worshipper and his companion when they met up at Dushnikh Yal.

"They will fall to my hand," Aldaril said to himself, his voice now strong and clear. He held his head high as he imagined the Nord and his Khajiit companion dying at his blade, a wide smirk spreading across his lips. "They will!"


End file.
